Basal ganglia T1 hyperintensity

There are many causes of basal ganglia T1 hyperintensity, but the majority relate to deposition of T1-intense elements within the basal ganglia such as:

• calcium
  • idiopathic calcification
  • calcium and phosphate abnormalities
• hepatic failure
  • acquired non-wilsonian hepatocerebral degeneration
  • Wilson disease (copper)
• toxins/ischemia
  • carbon monoxide (usually low T1 signal; unless associated with hemorrhage)
  • hyperalimentation or long term parenteral nutrition (manganese)
  • hyperglycemia-associated choreaballism ²: non-ketotic hyperglycemic hemichorea (NHH)
  • previous administration of linear gadolinium chelates ^3,4
  • global hypoxia
• blood
  • methemoglobin in intracranial hemorrhage
  • hemorrhagic infarct
• Japanese encephalitis
• hamartoma in neurofibromatosis type 1

See also

• basal ganglia signal abnormalities
  • increased T2 signal in the basal ganglia
  • decreased T2 signal in the basal ganglia
  • decreased T1 signal in the basal ganglia
  • restricted diffusion in the basal ganglia
• basal ganglia calcification
• eye of tiger sign