Cerebral and cerebellar calcifications were discovered by computerized tomography (CT) in a man who presented with a dementing illness characterized by progressive memory loss, irritability, and dystonia. He had no known family. Magnetic resonance imaging showed areas of absent signal corresponding to the calcifications and areas of high-intensity signal on the T2-weighted images without counterpart on the CT. These are postulated to be static liquid pools secondary to endothelial membrane incompetence and leakage of plasma-derived fluid.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Harrington MG , MacPherson P., McIntosh WB, et al: The significance of the incidental finding of basal ganglia calcification on computerized tomography. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry44:1168-1170, 1981 .
2.
Scotti G., Scialfa G., Tampieri D., et al: MR image in Fahr disease. J CAT9:790-792, 1985.
3.
Belman AC, Lantos G., Horoupian D., et al: AIDS: calcification of the basal ganglia in infants and children . Neurol36:1192-1199, 1986 .
4.
Lowenthal A., Bruyn GW: Calcification of the striato pallido dentate system. In: Handbook of Clinical Neurology: Diseases of the Basal Ganglia, Vol. 6, ed. by Vinken PJ, Bruyn GW.Amsterdam: North Holland Publishing, 1968, pp 703-725.
5.
Larsen TA, Dunn HG, Jan JE, et al: Dystonia and calcification of the basal ganglia. Neurology35:533-537, 1985.
6.
Babbitt DP, Taug T., Dobbs J., et al: Idiopathic familial cerebrovascular ferrocalcinosis (Fahr's disease) and review of differential diagnosis of intracranial calcification in children. Am J Roentgenol105:352-358, 1969.
Sala E., Savoildi F.: Contributo alla conoscenza delle forme ereditaria della malattia di Fahr. Nerv Sist11:46-73, 1959.
10.
Fahr T.: Idiopatische verkalkung der himgefasse zentralbl. Allg Pathol50:129-133, 1930.
11.
Delacour A. : Ossification des capillaires du cerveau. Annales de Medicine et Psychologie2:458-461, 1850.
12.
Smeyers-Verbeke J., Minchott Y., Pelsmaeckers J., et al: The chemical composition of idiopathic nonarteriorsclerotic cerebral calcifications. Neurology25:48-57, 1975.
13.
Alajouanine TM, Contamin F.: Crises a types d'epilepsie tonique sous-corticale avec depots calcaires intracerebraux et insuffisance parathyroidienne, supprimes par le calciferol. Ann MedParis55:321-359, 1954.
14.
Norman RM, Urich M.: The influence of a vascular factor on the distribution of symmetrical cerebral calcifications. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry23:142-147, 1960.
15.
Uzman LL: On the relationship of urinary copper excretion to aminoacidemia in Wilson's disease. Am J Med Soc226:645, 1953.
16.
Zambramski JM, Spetzler RF, Kaufman B.: MRI: Comparative study of radiofrequency pulse techniques in the evaluation of focal cerebral ischemia. Neurosurgery16:502-510, 1985.