Uremic frost on forehead and scalp of young Afro-Caribbean male

Uremic frost is a colloquial description for crystallized

urea Urea, also known as carbamide, is an organic compound with chemical formula . This amide has two amino groups (–) joined by a carbonyl functional group (–C(=O)–). It is thus the simplest amide of carbamic acid. Urea serves an important r ...

deposits that can be found on the skin of those affected by

chronic kidney disease Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a type of kidney disease in which a gradual loss of kidney function occurs over a period of months to years. Initially generally no symptoms are seen, but later symptoms may include leg swelling, feeling tired, vo ...

(CKD). In states of prolonged kidney failure and subsequent

uremia Uremia is the term for high levels of urea in the blood. Urea is one of the primary components of urine. It can be defined as an excess of amino acid and protein metabolism end products, such as urea and creatinine, in the blood that would be nor ...

, the high level of urea in the bloodstream leads to high levels of urea secreted by eccrine sweat glands as a component of sweat. As water evaporates off the skin, it results in crystallization of the remaining urea. This condition is more common in severe, untreated uremia and is associated with serum

BUN A bun is a type of bread roll, typically filled with savory fillings (for example hamburger). A bun may also refer to a sweet cake in certain parts of the world. Though they come in many shapes and sizes, buns are most commonly round, and are g ...

levels >200. It is becoming rare in people with chronic kidney disease managed on long-term

hemodialysis Hemodialysis, also spelled haemodialysis, or simply dialysis, is a process of purifying the blood of a person whose kidneys are not working normally. This type of dialysis achieves the extracorporeal removal of waste products such as creatinin ...

, with estimated prevalence between 0.8 and 3%.

References

Cutaneous conditions Nephrology Kidney diseases {{endocrine-disease-stub