Clinical manifestation and neuroimaging methods in diagnosing basal ganglia calcifications.
The aim of this case study was to evaluate the clinical symptoms in patients with basal ganglia calcifications and compare the neuroimaging methods used in confirming this state. The clinical status and performed transcranial sonography of basal ganglia structures in patients with brain calcifications found by computed brain tomography was examined. In one of these patients DaTSCAN was performed. A large spectrum of different symptoms was found. Transcranial sonography of basal ganglia showed the hyperechogenicity of nucleus lenticularis in eight out of 10 patients. DaTSCAN, which was performed to one patient with parkinsonian signs and the hyperechogenicity of substantia nigra found by transcranial sonography, was normal. Transcranial sonography is a newly neuroimaging method which can contribute to diagnosing basal ganglia calcifications in patients with different neurological signs. Computed tomography of brain remains the most adequate technique in visualising calcifications.
1Department of Neurology, 2, Department for Nuclear Medicine and Radiation  Protection, 3Department of Ophthalmology; University Clinical Center of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia.
Ivanka
I
Stenc Bradvica
Davor
D
Jančuljak
Silva
S
Butković-Soldo
Ivan
I
Mihaljević
Mirjana
M
Vladetić
Mario
M
Bradvica
D000368:Aged; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial / Q000379:methods