title: Substantia nigra echogenicity in progressive supranuclear palsy.
abstract: A normoechogenic substantia nigra (SN) is a typical finding in transcranial sonography in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), whereas in patients with Parkinson's disease a hyperechogenic SN is characteristic. A recent classification scheme recommends the differentiation of PSP patients into those with Richardson's syndrome (RS) and those with PSP-Parkinsonism (PSP-P). We investigated 34 PSP patients (27 RS, 7 PSP-P) with ultrasound of the substantia nigra in search of differentiations in the two groups. We found that most of the PSP-P patients, according to recently published criteria, had a hyperechogenic SN (6 of 7): right (cm(2)) median 0.22, 25% percentile 0.21 and 75% percentile 0.36 (cm(2)); left (cm(2)) median 0.21, 25% percentile 0.20 and 75% percentile 0.30 and a normal third ventricle (mean mm) +/-SD: 7.1 +/- 2.43). In RS patients a normoechogenic SN (26 of 27) and an enlarged third ventricle (mean mm) +/-SD: 10.3 +/- 2.41) was found. These differences may elucidate the pathological differences of RS and PSP-P.
authors.affiliation: Paracelsus-Elena-Klinik, Center of Parkinsonism and Movement Disorders, Kassel, Germany. j.ebentheuer@gmx.de
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ebentheuer
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Canelo
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Trautmann
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trenkwalder
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013494:Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial / Q000379:methods