Abstract
Basal ganglia calcifications are a frequent neuroimaging finding upon cerebral computerized tomography (CT) and may incidentally be identified in about 1 % of otherwise normal elderly subjects. The clinical picture of symptomatic basal ganglia calcifications includes neuropsychiatric abnormalities and movement disorders. Idiopathic cases, often referred to as Fahr’s disease, idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (IBGC) or bilateral striato-pallido-dentate calcinosis (BSPDC), are either familial, mostly with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance, or, less commonly, sporadic. Secondary causes such as disorders of calcium metabolism, vascular malformations, phacomatoses, tumors, or parasitical infections of the central nervous system may also lead to intracranial mineralization deposits. Apart from the basal ganglia (striatum and pallidum), a variety of anatomical structures can be affected by calcification, including the dentate nucleus, thalamus, and subcortical white matter. Calcifications typically show a symmetric distribution and differ in intensity and localization among affected subjects. Cerebral CT is the diagnostic gold standard to verify intracerebral calcifications. In contrast, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appears to have a rather low sensitivity and specificity and often MRI results remain inconclusive. Recently, transcranial sonography was consistently shown to reveal symmetric hyperechogenic areas of the basal ganglia corresponding to mineralization in patients with BSPDC. However, systemic investigations on the diagnostic value are lacking. Functional radioligand imaging methods provide an opportunity to demonstrate changes in the nigrostriatal function, local brain perfusion, and glucose metabolism. This chapter aims to clarify the heterogeneous terminology of basal ganglia calcifications and addresses the etiology and diagnostic approaches. Assets and drawbacks of different diagnostic tools are discussed.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Kiroglu Y, Calli C, Karabulut N, Oncel C. Intracranial calcifications on CT. Diagn Interv Radiol. 2010;16(4):263–9.
Murphy MJ. Clinical correlations of CT scan-detected calcifications of the basal ganglia. Ann Neurol. 1979;6(6):507–11.
Vles JS, Lodder J, van der Lugt PJ. Clinical significance of basal ganglia calcifications detected by CT (a retrospective study of 33 cases). Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 1981;83(4):253–6.
Harrington MG, Macpherson P, McIntosh WB, Allam BF, Bone I. The significance of the incidental finding of basal ganglia calcification on computed tomography. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1981;44(12):1168–70.
Kazis AD. Contribution of CT scan to the diagnosis of Fahr’s syndrome. Acta Neurol Scand. 1985;71(3):206–11.
Stellamor K, Stellamor V. Roentgen diagnosis of Fahr’s disease. Rontgenblatter. 1983;36(6):194–6.
Konig P. Psychopathological alterations in cases of symmetrical basal ganglia sclerosis. Biol Psychiatry. 1989;25(4):459–68.
Cohen CR, Duchesneau PM, Weinstein MA. Calcification of the basal ganglia as visualized by computed tomography. Radiology. 1980;134(1):97–9.
Tedrus GM, Fonseca LC, Nogueira E Jr. Basal ganglia calcification on computed tomography: clinical characteristics in 25 patients. Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2006;64(1):104–7.
Forstl H, Krumm B, Eden S, Kohlmeyer K. Neurological disorders in 166 patients with basal ganglia calcification: a statistical evaluation. J Neurol. 1992;239(1):36–8.
Fahr T. Idiopathische Verkalkung der Hirngefäße. Zentralbl Allg Pathol. 1930;50:129–33.
Klein C, Vieregge P. Fahr’s disease—far from a disease. Mov Disord. 1998;13(3):620–1.
Delacour A. Ossification des capilaires du cerveau. Ann Med Psychol. 1850;2:458–61.
Manyam BV. What is and what is not ‘Fahr’s disease’. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2005;11(2):73–80.
Geschwind DH, Loginov M, Stern JM. Identification of a locus on chromosome 14q for idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (Fahr disease). Am J Hum Genet. 1999;65(3):764–72.
Volpato CB, De Grandi A, Buffone E, et al. 2q37 as a susceptibility locus for idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (IBGC) in a large South Tyrolean family. J Mol Neurosci. 2009;39(3):346–53.
Dai X, Gao Y, Xu Z, et al. Identification of a novel genetic locus on chromosome 8p21.1-q11.23 for idiopathic basal ganglia calcification. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2010;153B(7):1305–10.
Wang C, Li Y, Shi L, et al. Mutations in SLC20A2 link familial idiopathic basal ganglia calcification with phosphate homeostasis. Nat Genet. 2012;44(3):254–6.
Brodaty H, Mitchell P, Luscombe G, et al. Familial idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (Fahr’s disease) without neurological, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms is not linked to the IBGC1 locus on chromosome 14q. Hum Genet. 2002;110(1):8–14.
Oliveira JR, Spiteri E, Sobrido MJ, et al. Genetic heterogeneity in familial idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (Fahr disease). Neurology. 2004;63(11):2165–7.
Kostic VS, Lukic-Jecmenica M, Novakovic I, et al. Exclusion of linkage to chromosomes 14q, 2q37 and 8p21.1-q11.23 in a Serbian family with idiopathic basal ganglia calcification. J Neurol. 2011;258(9):1637–42.
Kobari M, Nogawa S, Sugimoto Y, Fukuuchi Y. Familial idiopathic brain calcification with autosomal dominant inheritance. Neurology. 1997;48(3):645–9.
Ellie E, Julien J, Ferrer X. Familial idiopathic striopallidodentate calcifications. Neurology. 1989;39(3):381–5.
Miklossy J, Mackenzie IR, Dorovini-Zis K, et al. Severe vascular disturbance in a case of familial brain calcinosis. Acta Neuropathol. 2005;109(6):643–53.
Wszolek ZK, Baba Y, Mackenzie IR, et al. Autosomal dominant dystonia-plus with cerebral calcifications. Neurology. 2006;67(4):620–5.
Sobrido MJ, Hopfer S, Geschwind DH. Familial idiopathic basal ganglia calcification. In: Pagon RA, Bird TD, Dolan CR, Stephens K, Adam MP, editors. GeneReviews. Seattle (WA); 1993.
Bonazza S, La Morgia C, Martinelli P, Capellari S. Strio-pallido-dentate calcinosis: a diagnostic approach in adult patients. Neurol Sci. 2011;32(4):537–45.
Manyam BV, Bhatt MH, Moore WD, Devleschoward AB, Anderson DR, Calne DB. Bilateral striopallidodentate calcinosis: cerebrospinal fluid, imaging, and electrophysiological studies. Ann Neurol. 1992;31(4):379–84.
Manyam BV, Walters AS, Narla KR. Bilateral striopallidodentate calcinosis: clinical characteristics of patients seen in a registry. Mov Disord. 2001;16(2):258–64.
Manyam BV, Walters AS, Keller IA, Ghobrial M. Parkinsonism associated with autosomal dominant bilateral striopallidodentate calcinosis. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2001;7(4):289–95.
Bruggemann N, Schneider SA, Sander T, Klein C, Hagenah J. Distinct basal ganglia hyperechogenicity in idiopathic basal ganglia calcification. Mov Disord. 2010;25(15):2661–4.
Hui JS, Lew MF. Calcification of the basal ganglia. Handb Clin Neurol. 2007;84:479–86.
Diaz GE, Wirrell EC, Matsumoto JY, Krecke KN. Bilateral striopallidodentate calcinosis with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia. Pediatr Neurol. 2010;43(1):46–8.
Saiki M, Saiki S, Sakai K, et al. Neurological deficits are associated with increased brain calcinosis, hypoperfusion, and hypometabolism in idiopathic basal ganglia calcification. Mov Disord. 2007;22(7):1027–30.
Klein C, Vieregge P, Kompf D. Paroxysmal choreoathetosis in a patient with idiopathic basal ganglia calcification, chorea, and dystonia. Mov Disord. 1997;12(2):254–5.
Micheli F, Fernandez Pardal MM, Casas Parera I, Giannaula R. Sporadic paroxysmal dystonic choreoathetosis associated with basal ganglia calcifications. Ann Neurol. 1986;20(6):750.
Cummings JL, Gosenfeld LF, Houlihan JP, McCaffrey T. Neuropsychiatric disturbances associated with idiopathic calcification of the basal ganglia. Biol Psychiatry. 1983;18(5):591–601.
Koller WC, Cochran JW, Klawans HL. Calcification of the basal ganglia: computerized tomography and clinical correlation. Neurology. 1979;29(3):328–33.
Sachs C, Ericson K, Erasmie U, Bergstrom M. Incidence of basal ganglia calcifications on computed tomography. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 1979;3(3):339–44.
Koller WC, Klawans HL. Cerebellar calcification on computerized tomography. Ann Neurol. 1980;7(2):193–4.
Taxer F, Haller R, Konig P. Clinical early symptoms and CT findings in Fahr syndrome. Nervenarzt. 1986;57(10):583–8.
Vermersch P, Leys D, Pruvo JP, Clarisse J, Petit H. Parkinson’s disease and basal ganglia calcifications: prevalence and clinico-radiological correlations. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 1992;94(3):213–7.
Shibayama H, Kobayashi H, Nakagawa M, et al. Non-Alzheimer non-Pick dementia with Fahr’s syndrome. Clin Neuropathol. 1992;11(5):237–50.
Manyam BV, Bhatt MH, Moore WD, Devleschoward AB, Anderson DR, Calne DB. Bilateral striopallidodentate calcinosis: cerebrospinal fluid, imaging, and electrophysiological studies. Ann Neurol. 1992;31(4):379–84.
Avrahami E, Cohn DF, Feibel M, Tadmor R. MRI demonstration and CT correlation of the brain in patients with idiopathic intracerebral calcification. J Neurol. 1994;241(6):381–4.
Holland BA, Kucharczyk W, Brant-Zawadzki M, Norman D, Haas DK, Harper PS. MR imaging of calcified intracranial lesions. Radiology. 1985;157(2):353–6.
Oot RF, New PF, Pile-Spellman J, Rosen BR, Shoukimas GM, Davis KR. The detection of intracranial calcifications by MR. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1986;7(5):801–9.
Kozic D, Todorovic-Djilas L, Semnic R, Miucin-Vukadinovic I, Lucic M. MR imaging—an unreliable and potentially misleading diagnostic modality in patients with intracerebral calcium depositions. Case report. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2009;30(5):553–7.
Henkelman RM, Watts JF, Kucharczyk W. High signal intensity in MR images of calcified brain tissue. Radiology. 1991;179(1):199–206.
Bottcher J, Sauner D, Jentsch A, et al. Visualization of symmetric striopallidodentate calcinosis by using high-resolution susceptibility-weighted MR imaging. An account of the impact of different diagnostic methods of M. Fahr. Nervenarzt. 2004;75(4):355–61.
Smith FW, Gemmell HG, Sharp PF, Besson JA. Technetium-99m HMPAO imaging in patients with basal ganglia disease. Br J Radiol. 1988;61(730):914–20.
Scotti G, Scialfa G, Tampieri D, Landoni L. MR imaging in Fahr disease. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 1985;9(4):790–2.
Yoshikawa H, Abe T. Transient parkinsonism in bilateral striopallidodentate calcinosis. Pediatr Neurol. 2003;29(1):75–7.
Vlaar AM, Bouwmans A, Mess WH, Tromp SC, Weber WE. Transcranial duplex in the differential diagnosis of parkinsonian syndromes: a systematic review. J Neurol. 2009;256(4):530–8.
Berg D, Godau J, Walter U. Transcranial sonography in movement disorders. Lancet Neurol. 2008;7(11):1044–55.
Walter U, Dressler D, Probst T, et al. Transcranial brain sonography findings in discriminating between parkinsonism and idiopathic Parkinson disease. Arch Neurol. 2007;64(11):1635–40.
Postert T, Lack B, Kuhn W, et al. Basal ganglia alterations and brain atrophy in Huntington’s disease depicted by transcranial real time sonography. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1999;67(4):457–62.
Walter U, Wagner S, Horowski S, Benecke R, Zettl UK. Transcranial brain sonography findings predict disease progression in multiple sclerosis. Neurology. 2009;73(13):1010–7.
Naumann M, Becker G, Toyka KV, Supprian T, Reiners K. Lenticular nucleus lesion in idiopathic dystonia detected by transcranial sonography. Neurology. 1996;47(5):1284–90.
Walter U, Buttkus F, Benecke R, Grossmann A, Dressler D, Altenmuller E. Sonographic alteration of lenticular nucleus in focal task-specific dystonia of musicians. Neurodegener Dis. 2012;9(2):99–103.
Postert T, Eyding J, Berg D, et al. Transcranial sonography in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3. J Neural Transm Suppl. 2004;68:123–33.
Walter U, Krolikowski K, Tarnacka B, Benecke R, Czlonkowska A, Dressler D. Sonographic detection of basal ganglia lesions in asymptomatic and symptomatic Wilson disease. Neurology. 2005;64(10):1726–32.
Svetel M, Mijajlovic M, Tomic A, Kresojevic N, Pekmezovic T, Kostic VS. Transcranial sonography in Wilson’s disease. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2012;18(3):234–8.
Zecca L, Berg D, Arzberger T, et al. In vivo detection of iron and neuromelanin by transcranial sonography: a new approach for early detection of substantia nigra damage. Mov Disord. 2005;20(10):1278–85.
van Wezel-Meijler G, Leijser LM, Wiggers-de Bruine FT, Steggerda SJ, van der Grond J, Walther FJ. Diffuse hyperechogenicity of basal ganglia and thalami in preterm neonates: a physiologic finding? Radiology. 2011;258(3):944–50.
Toscano M, Canevelli M, Giacomelli E, et al. Transcranial sonography of basal ganglia calcifications in Fahr disease. J Ultrasound Med. 2011;30(7):1032–33.
Uygur GA, Liu Y, Hellman RS, Tikofsky RS, Collier BD. Evaluation of regional cerebral blood flow in massive intracerebral calcifications. J Nucl Med. 1995;36(4):610–2.
Paschali A, Lakiotis V, Messinis L, et al. Dopamine transporter SPECT/CT and perfusion brain SPECT imaging in idiopathic basal ganglia calcinosis. Clin Nucl Med. 2009;34(7):421–3.
Ones T, Dede F, Gunal D, et al. The clinical utility of 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT in Fahr’s disease. Ann Nucl Med. 2008;22(5):425–8.
Ogi S, Fukumitsu N, Tsuchida D, Uchiyama M, Mori Y, Matsui K. Imaging of bilateral striopallidodentate calcinosis. Clin Nucl Med. 2002;27(10):721–4.
Hempel A, Henze M, Berghoff C, Garcia N, Ody R, Schroder J. PET findings and neuropsychological deficits in a case of Fahr’s disease. Psychiatry Res. 2001;108(2):133–40.
Benke T, Karner E, Seppi K, Delazer M, Marksteiner J, Donnemiller E. Subacute dementia and imaging correlates in a case of Fahr’s disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2004;75(8):1163–5.
Le Ber I, Marie RM, Lalevee C, Chabot B, Allouche S, Defer GL. Familial idiopathic striato-pallido-dentate calcifications: clinical and brain imaging study in a family. Rev Neurol (Paris). 2003;159(1):43–9.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Brüggemann, N., Hagenah, J. (2013). Neuroimaging of Basal Ganglia Calcifications. In: Nahab, F., Hattori, N. (eds) Neuroimaging of Movement Disorders. Current Clinical Neurology, vol 44. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-471-5_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-471-5_16
Published:
Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ
Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-470-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-471-5
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)