Basal ganglia calcification

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 the age of 40 years unless proved otherwise ⁵.

However, there are many causes of calcification:

• idiopathic

  • aging: common, globus pallidus most commonly affected

  • Fahr disease

• toxic

  • carbon monoxide poisoning

  • lead poisoning

  • mineralizing microangiopathy

    • associated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy

  • nephrotic syndrome ⁹

• infectious

  • TORCH

  • CNS tuberculosis

  • AIDS

  • neurocysticercosis

  • CNS toxoplasmosis

• metabolic

  • parathyroid disorders

    • hypoparathyroidism

    • pseudohypoparathyroidism

    • pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism

    • hyperparathyroidism

  • hypothyroidism ⁹

• birth hypoxia

• inherited

  • mitochondrial diseases e.g. MELAS

  • Cockayne syndrome

  • pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) (also known as Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome)

  • Down syndrome ⁶

  • tuberous sclerosis ⁸

  • methemoglobinopathy ⁹

  • Sanjad Sakati syndrome

• vascular

  • developmental venous anomaly (unilateral) ⁷

See also

• basal ganglia signal abnormalities

  • increased T2 signal in the basal ganglia

  • decreased T2 signal in the basal ganglia

  • increased T1 signal in the basal ganglia

  • decreased T1 signal in the basal ganglia