A survey of 37 cases with basal ganglia calcification (BGC): CT-scan findings of BGC and its relationship to underlying diseases and epilepsy.

Thirty-seven cases that showed bilateral basal ganglia calcification (BGC) were found in 5987 patients. These cases (0.6%) were studied in relation to their CT findings, underlying diseases and epilepsy. CT findings of BGC were divided into "localized" type (33 cases) and "diffuse" type (4 cases). The number of patients with the "localized" type clearly seemed to increase with age. The M:F ratio of the "localized" type was 1:2. The "localized" type was seen in both idiopathic BGC and familial BGC. The "diffuse" type was seen in hypoparathyroidism only. The specific relationship of these two types of BGC to underlying diseases, however, does not fully agree with results so far reported. We experienced a case with familial BGC during this study that appears to be only the 15th so far reported. Partial epilepsy occurred in 75% of epilepsy with BGC, but there seemed to be no direct relationship between BGC and epileptogenicity.