Familial idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (Fahr`s disease). 2014

Amir A Mufaddel, and Ghanem A Al-Hassani
Community Mental Health Services, Behavioural Sciences Institute, Al-Ain Hospital, PO Box 1006, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates. E-mail: khalifaamir@yahoo.co.uk.

Familial idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (Fahr`s disease) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by symmetrical and bilateral calcification of the basal ganglia. Calcifications may also occur in other brain regions such as dentate nucleus, thalamus, and cerebral cortex. Both familial and non-familial cases of Fahr`s disease have been reported, predominantly with autosomal-dominant fashion. The disease has a wide range of clinical presentations, predominantly with neuropsychiatric features and movement disorders. Psychiatric features reported in the literature include: cognitive impairment, depression, hallucinations, delusions, manic symptoms, anxiety, schizophrenia-like psychosis, and personality change. Other clinical features include: Parkinsonism, ataxia, headache, seizures, vertigo, stroke-like events, orthostatic hypotension, tremor, dysarthria, and paresis. Fahr`s disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of psychiatric symptoms, particularly when associated with movement disorder. The disease should be differentiated from other conditions that can cause intracranial calcification. No specific treatment is currently available. Further research is needed to bridge the gap existing in our current knowledge of the prevalence, etiology, symptoms, and treatment of Fahr`s disease.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D002114 Calcinosis Pathologic deposition of calcium salts in tissues. Calcification, Pathologic,Calcinosis, Tumoral,Microcalcification,Microcalcinosis,Pathologic Calcification,Calcinoses,Calcinoses, Tumoral,Microcalcifications,Microcalcinoses,Tumoral Calcinoses,Tumoral Calcinosis
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001479 Basal Ganglia Large subcortical nuclear masses derived from the telencephalon and located in the basal regions of the cerebral hemispheres. Basal Nuclei,Ganglia, Basal,Basal Nuclear Complex,Ganglion, Basal,Basal Nuclear Complices,Nuclear Complex, Basal,Nuclei, Basal
D001480 Basal Ganglia Diseases Diseases of the BASAL GANGLIA including the PUTAMEN; GLOBUS PALLIDUS; claustrum; AMYGDALA; and CAUDATE NUCLEUS. DYSKINESIAS (most notably involuntary movements and alterations of the rate of movement) represent the primary clinical manifestations of these disorders. Common etiologies include CEREBROVASCULAR DISORDERS; NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES; and CRANIOCEREBRAL TRAUMA. Extrapyramidal Disorders,Basal Ganglia Disorders,Lenticulostriate Disorders,Basal Ganglia Disease,Basal Ganglia Disorder,Extrapyramidal Disorder,Lenticulostriate Disorder
D012529 Saudi Arabia A country located in the Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen. The capital is Riyadh. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
D019636 Neurodegenerative Diseases Hereditary and sporadic conditions which are characterized by progressive nervous system dysfunction. These disorders are often associated with atrophy of the affected central or peripheral nervous system structures. Degenerative Diseases, Nervous System,Degenerative Diseases, Central Nervous System,Degenerative Diseases, Neurologic,Degenerative Diseases, Spinal Cord,Degenerative Neurologic Diseases,Degenerative Neurologic Disorders,Nervous System Degenerative Diseases,Neurodegenerative Disorders,Neurologic Degenerative Conditions,Neurologic Degenerative Diseases,Neurologic Diseases, Degenerative,Degenerative Condition, Neurologic,Degenerative Conditions, Neurologic,Degenerative Neurologic Disease,Degenerative Neurologic Disorder,Neurodegenerative Disease,Neurodegenerative Disorder,Neurologic Degenerative Condition,Neurologic Degenerative Disease,Neurologic Disease, Degenerative,Neurologic Disorder, Degenerative,Neurologic Disorders, Degenerative

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