Basal ganglia calcification

Changed by Amir Rezaee, 1 Apr 2015

Updates to Article Attributes

Body was changed:

Show markup changes

Basal ganglia calcification is common and is seen in approximately 1% of all CT scans of the brain, depending on the demographics of the scanned population. It is seen more frequently in older patients and is considered a normal incidental and idiopathic finding in an elderly patient but should be considered pathological in persons younger than age 40 years unless proved otherwise ⁵.

However, there are many causes of calcification:

idiopathic
- ageing: common, globus pallidus most commonly affected
- Fahr disease
toxic
- carbon monoxide poisoning
- lead poisoning
- mineralizing microangiopathy
  - associated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy

~~radiation therapy~~

~~chemotherapy~~
infectious
metabolic
- parathyroid disorders
- birth hypoxia
inherited
- mitochondrial diseases e.g. MELAS
- Cockayne syndrome
- pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) (also known as Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome)

~~-<li><a href="/articles/lead_poisoning">lead poisoning </a></li>~~
+<li><a href="/articles/lead-poisoning">lead poisoning </a></li>
~~-<li><ul>~~
~~-<li>radiation therapy</li>~~
~~-<li>chemotherapy</li>~~
~~-</ul></li>~~
~~-<li><a href="/articles/hiv-aids-1">AIDS</a></li>~~
+<li><a href="/articles/hivaids">AIDS</a></li>
~~-<a href="/articles/mitochondrial_disorders">mitochondrial diseases</a> e.g. <a href="/articles/mitochondrial_disorders">MELAS</a>~~
+<a href="/articles/mitochondrial-disorders">mitochondrial diseases</a> e.g. <a href="/articles/mitochondrial-disorders">MELAS</a>
-<a href="/articles/hallervorden-spatz_syndrome">pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN)</a> (also known as <a href="/articles/hallervorden-spatz_syndrome">Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome</a>)</li>
+<a href="/articles/hallervorden-spatz-syndrome">pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN)</a> (also known as <a href="/articles/hallervorden-spatz-syndrome">Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome</a>)</li>
~~-<li><a href="/articles/basal_ganglia_t2_hyperintensity">increased T2 signal in the basal ganglia</a></li>~~
+<li><a href="/articles/basal-ganglia-t2-hyperintensity">increased T2 signal in the basal ganglia</a></li>
~~-<li><a href="/articles/basal_ganglia_t1_hyperintensity">increased T1 signal in the basal ganglia</a></li>~~
+<li><a href="/articles/basal-ganglia-t1-hyperintensity">increased T1 signal in the basal ganglia</a></li>

ADVERTISEMENT: Supporters see fewer/no ads

{"current_user":null,"inclusions":[{"imageId":16114,"studyId":6839,"caseSlug":"basal-ganglia-calcification-senile-2","caption":"Case 1: senile","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/16114/ae4b044785cf075b3984ce309124e0_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_unsubstantiated"},{"imageId":17857,"studyId":6935,"caseSlug":"basal-ganglia-calcification-post-chemotherapy","caption":"Case 2: post-chemotherapy","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/17857/2239b122f41ed7d5948dd0b7ce1c64_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":true,"diagnosticCertainty":"probable"},{"imageId":437089,"studyId":38018,"caseSlug":"fahr-disease-7","caption":"Case 3: Fahr disease","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/437089/4b2e0cf4ccc79b4b7b92d2b112e8bf_big_gallery.jpg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_unsubstantiated"},{"imageId":437120,"studyId":10211,"caseSlug":"pseudohypoparathyroidism","caption":"Case 4: pseudohypoparathyroidism","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/437120/adb5b3aff040992a541a647d7d461dfd806091b2b61db9ec6ecdc237ef28ff87_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":true,"diagnosticCertainty":"probable"},{"imageId":39678705,"studyId":68677,"caseSlug":"basal-ganglia-calcification-x-ray","caption":"Case 5: cause not specified","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/39678705/19bf74793500ba84acb6d8aedc17d4_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":false,"diagnosticCertainty":"probable"},{"imageId":54236739,"studyId":101887,"caseSlug":"sanjad-sakati-syndrome-3","caption":"Case 6: Sanjad-Sakati syndrome","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/54236739/FALEHMOFELH.Seq2.Ser5.Img15_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":true,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_unsubstantiated"},{"imageId":59289807,"studyId":124582,"caseSlug":"aicardi-goutieres-syndrome-1","caption":"Case 7: Aicardi-Goutières syndrome","thumbnail":"https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/59289807/7a11ec7c303272dcb8db1501986f7fd587a4df9ef69e9c592177e3c69e264f0c_big_gallery.jpeg","isStack":true,"diagnosticCertainty":"confirmed_substantiated"}],"ddx_inclusions":[],"lang":"us"}

Updating… Please wait.

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

Thank you for updating your details.

Basal ganglia calcification

Updates to Article Attributes

See also

Articles

By Section:

By System:

Cases

Radiopaedia.org