MediAI

  A Tiny Pelvic Calcification That Changed the Diagnosis Imagine a 63-year-old man visiting the emergency department because of suspected renal stones. He has a long history of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus complicated by advanced diabetic nephropathy and secondary hyperparathyroidism. His physicians request a routine abdominal radiograph and non-contrast CT scan to evaluate possible urinary tract calculi. No hydronephrosis is identified. No radiopaque renal stone is detected. Instead, the radiologist notices something unexpected. Two delicate, symmetrical tubular calcifications extend through the pelvis. These calcifications are not ureteral stones. They are not vascular calcifications. They are not surgical clips. They represent bilateral calcification of the vas deferens , an uncommon but highly characteristic imaging finding that should immediately prompt consideration of long-standing diabetes mellitus. The uploaded case describes exactly this scenario, in which pelvic r...