Primary familial brain calcification: a clinical case

Abstract

Primary familial brain calcification (familial idiopathic basal ganglia calcification, Fahr’s disease) is a rare neurodegenerative syndrome characterised by a symmetrical bilateral calcification in the basal ganglia, dentate nucleus, cerebral cortex, and other regions of the brain. The widespread use of multislice computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging increased the number of diagnosed cases, yet neither causes nor efficient treatment of this disease are known to date. Due to variable symptoms, primary familial brain calcification can resemble multiple neurological, mental, and endocrine disorders. Here we describe a case of a 38-year-old woman where timely multislice computed tomography led to the proper diagnosis and successful treatment.