Incidence of basal ganglia calcifications on computed tomography

In a group of 3,800 computed tomography examinations, 14 patients (0.4%) were found to have high attenuating lesions suggesting calcifications within the basal ganglia. The lesions were bilateral in all patients. A majority of the patients had psychic symptoms and convulsions. Electroencephalographic changes were frequent and extrapyramidal symptoms occurred. Until now only three patients have been endocrinologically examined. One of them had hypoparathyroidism. Since parathyroid dysfunction frequently is associated with calcifications of the basal ganglia, these patients should be referred for endocrinological evaluation.