Eye of the tiger sign (globus pallidus)

Last revised by Rohit Sharma on 17 Jul 2023

The eye of the tiger sign refers to symmetric bilateral abnormal low signal on T2-weighted MRI (due to abnormal accumulation of iron) in the globus pallidus with central high signal (due to gliosis and spongiosis).

The eye of the tiger sign is most classically associated with pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) 1-3, although it is not pathognomonic, particularly in adults 5.

There are no formalized criteria for the sign 6 and other conditions, such as Wilson disease 7, atypical parkinsonism 8, and organophosphate poisoning 9 may demonstrate a similar appearance. It may also be a normal finding on 3 T MRI 6. Therefore, caution should be used when interpreting this sign.

ADVERTISEMENT: Supporters see fewer/no ads

Updating… Please wait.

 Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.

 Thank you for updating your details.