title: Bilateral symmetrical basal ganglia and thalamic lesions in children: an update (2015).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In children, many inherited or acquired neurological disorders may cause bilateral symmetrical signal intensity alterations in the basal ganglia and thalami.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature review was aimed at assisting neuroradiologists, neurologists, infectious diseases specialists, and pediatricians to provide further understanding into the clinical and neuroimaging features in pediatric patients presenting with bilateral symmetrical basal ganglia and thalamic lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We discuss hypoxic-ischemic, toxic, infectious, immune-mediated, mitochondrial, metabolic, and neurodegenerative disorders affecting the basal ganglia and thalami.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recognition and correct evaluation of basal ganglia abnormalities, together with a proper neurological examination and laboratory findings, may enable the identification of each of these clinical entities and lead to earlier diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Section of Neuroradiology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, 4401 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15224, USA. giulio.zuccoli@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zuccoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael Paul
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Yannes
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler Klinik, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nardone
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Section of Metabolic Disorders and Neurogenetics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000473:pathology*; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Basal ganglia; MRI; Pediatrics; Thalamus