U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination

Idiopathic basal ganglia calcification 1(IBGC1)

MedGen UID:
1637664
Concept ID:
C4551624
Disease or Syndrome
Synonyms: Basal ganglia calcification, idiopathic, 3; Cerebral calcification nonarteriosclerotic idiopathic adult-onset; Fahr disease, familial (formerly); Fahr's syndrome; Familial Idiopathic Basal Ganglia Calcification; Familial Idiopathic Basal Ganglia Calcification 2; Familial Idiopathic Basal Ganglia Calcification 3; Ferrocalcinosis, cerebrovascular; IBGC1; Primary Familial Brain Calcification 1; Primary Familial Brain Calcification 2; Primary Familial Brain Calcification 3; Striopallidodentate calcinosis autosomal dominant adult-onset
 
Genes (locations): PDGFB (22q13.1); PDGFRB (5q32); SLC20A2 (8p11.21)
 
Monarch Initiative: MONDO:0024538
OMIM®: 213600

Disease characteristics

Excerpted from the GeneReview: Primary Familial Brain Calcification
Primary familial brain calcification (PFBC) is a neurodegenerative disorder with characteristic calcium deposits in the basal ganglia and other brain areas visualized on neuroimaging. Most affected individuals are in good health during childhood and young adulthood and typically present in the fourth to fifth decade with a gradually progressive movement disorder and neuropsychiatric symptoms. The movement disorder first manifests as clumsiness, fatigability, unsteady gait, slow or slurred speech, dysphagia, involuntary movements, or muscle cramping. Neuropsychiatric symptoms, often the first or most prominent manifestations, range from mild difficulty with concentration and memory to changes in personality and/or behavior, to psychosis and dementia. Seizures of various types occur frequently, some individuals experience chronic headache and vertigo; urinary urgency or incontinence may be present. [from GeneReviews]
Authors:
Eliana Marisa Ramos  |  Joao Oliveira  |  Maria J Sobrido, et. al.   view full author information

Additional descriptions

From OMIM
Familial idiopathic basal ganglia calcification is an autosomal dominant condition characterized by symmetric calcification in the basal ganglia and other brain regions. Patients with calcifications can either be asymptomatic or show a wide spectrum of neuropsychiatric symptoms, including parkinsonism, dystonia, tremor, ataxia, dementia, psychosis, seizures, and chronic headache. Serum levels of calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, and parathyroid hormone are normal. The typical age at clinical onset is between 30 and 50 years (summary by Wang et al., 2012). Calcification of the basal ganglia is a nonspecific finding in many medical conditions, including infectious, metabolic, and genetic syndromes. In addition, calcification of the basal ganglia is observed as an incidental finding in approximately 0.7 to 1.2% of CT scans (Koller et al., 1979; Harrington et al., 1981; Forstl et al., 1992). These incidental calcifications are usually benign and have no clear etiology, especially in patients over 60 years of age (Geschwind et al., 1999). Forstl et al. (1992) found no increased risk for dementia, cerebral infarction, seizures, alcoholism, vertigo, or headache in 166 patients with calcification of the basal ganglia compared to 622 individuals without calcification. Genetic Heterogeneity of Idiopathic Basal Ganglia Calcification See IBGC4 (615007), caused by mutation in the PDGFRB gene (173410) on 5q32; IBGC5 (615483), caused by mutation in the PDGFB gene (190040) on 22q13; IBGC6 (616413), caused by mutation in the XPR1 gene (605237) on 1q25; IBGC7 (618317), caused by mutation in the MYORG gene (618255) on 9p13; and IBGC8 (618824), caused by mutation in the JAM2 gene (606870) on 21q21. See 114100 for a childhood-onset form of idiopathic basal ganglia calcification. The symbol IBGC3 previously referred to the locus on chromosome 8p11 that includes the SLC20A2 gene (Dai et al., 2010). However, the family that originally defined the putative IBGC1 locus on chromosome 14q (Geschwind et al., 1999) was later found to carry a pathogenic mutation in the SLC20A2 gene (Hsu et al., 2013), and the IBGC locus on chromosome 14q has not been replicated (Oliveira et al., 2004; Hsu et al., 2013). Thus, the symbol IBGC1 now refers to the disorder caused by mutation in the SLC20A2 gene on chromosome 8p11 and the symbol IBGC3 is no longer used. In addition, the symbol IBGC2 was previously used for a form of IBGC erroneously mapped to 2q37; the family in which this linkage was reported by Volpato et al. (2009) was later found by Grutz et al. (2016) to have a mutation in the SLC20A2 gene and thus to have IBGC1.  http://www.omim.org/entry/213600
From MedlinePlus Genetics
Psychiatric and behavioral problems occur in 20 to 30 percent of people with primary familial brain calcification. These problems can include difficulty concentrating, memory loss, changes in personality, a distorted view of reality (psychosis), and decline in intellectual function (dementia). Affected individuals may also have difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), impaired speech, headache, episodes of extreme dizziness (vertigo), seizures, or urinary problems.

The severity of primary familial brain calcification varies among affected individuals; some people have no symptoms related to the condition, whereas others have significant movement and psychiatric problems.

The main signs and symptoms of primary familial brain calcification are movement disorders and psychiatric or behavioral problems. These difficulties usually begin in mid-adulthood, and worsen over time. Most affected individuals have a group of movement abnormalities called parkinsonism, which include unusually slow movement (bradykinesia), muscle rigidity, and tremors. Other movement problems common in people with primary familial brain calcification include involuntary tensing of various muscles (dystonia), uncontrollable movements of the limbs (choreoathetosis), and an unsteady walking style (gait).

Primary familial brain calcification is a condition characterized by abnormal deposits of calcium (calcification) in blood vessels within the brain. These calcium deposits are visible only on medical imaging and typically occur in the basal ganglia, which are structures deep within the brain that help start and control movement of the body. Other brain regions may also be affected.  https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/primary-familial-brain-calcification

Clinical features

From HPO
Urinary incontinence
MedGen UID:
22579
Concept ID:
C0042024
Finding
Loss of the ability to control the urinary bladder leading to involuntary urination.
Calcification of the small brain vessels
MedGen UID:
871223
Concept ID:
C4025703
Pathologic Function
Deposition of calcium salts within small blood vessels of the brain.
Athetosis
MedGen UID:
2115
Concept ID:
C0004158
Disease or Syndrome
A slow, continuous, involuntary writhing movement that prevents maintenance of a stable posture. Athetosis involves continuous smooth movements that appear random and are not composed of recognizable sub-movements or movement fragments. In contrast to chorea, in athetosis, the same regions of the body are repeatedly involved. Athetosis may worsen with attempts at movement of posture, but athetosis can also occur at rest.
Chorea
MedGen UID:
3420
Concept ID:
C0008489
Disease or Syndrome
Chorea (Greek for 'dance') refers to widespread arrhythmic involuntary movements of a forcible, jerky and restless fashion. It is a random-appearing sequence of one or more discrete involuntary movements or movement fragments. Movements appear random because of variability in timing, duration or location. Each movement may have a distinct start and end. However, movements may be strung together and thus may appear to flow randomly from one muscle group to another. Chorea can involve the trunk, neck, face, tongue, and extremities.
Depression
MedGen UID:
4229
Concept ID:
C0011581
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Frequently experiencing feelings of being down, miserable, and/or hopeless; struggling to recover from these moods; having a pessimistic outlook on the future; feeling a pervasive sense of shame; having a low self-worth; experiencing thoughts of suicide and engaging in suicidal behavior.
Dysarthria
MedGen UID:
8510
Concept ID:
C0013362
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Dysarthric speech is a general description referring to a neurological speech disorder characterized by poor articulation. Depending on the involved neurological structures, dysarthria may be further classified as spastic, flaccid, ataxic, hyperkinetic and hypokinetic, or mixed.
Dystonic disorder
MedGen UID:
3940
Concept ID:
C0013421
Sign or Symptom
An abnormally increased muscular tone that causes fixed abnormal postures. There is a slow, intermittent twisting motion that leads to exaggerated turning and posture of the extremities and trunk.
Psychotic disorder
MedGen UID:
19568
Concept ID:
C0033975
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
A condition characterized by changes in personality and thought patterns, often accompanied by hallucinations and delusional beliefs, is known as psychosis.
Seizure
MedGen UID:
20693
Concept ID:
C0036572
Sign or Symptom
A seizure is an intermittent abnormality of nervous system physiology characterized by a transient occurrence of signs and/or symptoms due to abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain.
Tremor
MedGen UID:
21635
Concept ID:
C0040822
Sign or Symptom
An unintentional, oscillating to-and-fro muscle movement about a joint axis.
Hyperreflexia
MedGen UID:
57738
Concept ID:
C0151889
Finding
Hyperreflexia is the presence of hyperactive stretch reflexes of the muscles.
Bradykinesia
MedGen UID:
115925
Concept ID:
C0233565
Sign or Symptom
Bradykinesia literally means slow movement, and is used clinically to denote a slowness in the execution of movement (in contrast to hypokinesia, which is used to refer to slowness in the initiation of movement).
Memory impairment
MedGen UID:
68579
Concept ID:
C0233794
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
An impairment of memory as manifested by a reduced ability to remember things such as dates and names, and increased forgetfulness.
Abnormal pyramidal sign
MedGen UID:
68582
Concept ID:
C0234132
Sign or Symptom
Functional neurological abnormalities related to dysfunction of the pyramidal tract.
Dysdiadochokinesis
MedGen UID:
115975
Concept ID:
C0234979
Sign or Symptom
A type of ataxia characterized by the impairment of the ability to perform rapidly alternating movements, such as pronating and supinating his or her hand on the dorsum of the other hand as rapidly as possible.
Mental deterioration
MedGen UID:
66713
Concept ID:
C0234985
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Loss of previously present mental abilities, generally in adults.
Micrographia
MedGen UID:
66806
Concept ID:
C0240341
Finding
Abnormally small-sized handwriting is formally defined as an impairment of fine motor skills, which mainly manifests as a progressive or stable reduction in amplitude during a writing task.
Parkinsonian disorder
MedGen UID:
66079
Concept ID:
C0242422
Disease or Syndrome
Characteristic neurologic anomaly resulting from degeneration of dopamine-generating cells in the substantia nigra, a region of the midbrain, characterized clinically by shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with walking and gait.
Global developmental delay
MedGen UID:
107838
Concept ID:
C0557874
Finding
A delay in the achievement of motor or mental milestones in the domains of development of a child, including motor skills, speech and language, cognitive skills, and social and emotional skills. This term should only be used to describe children younger than five years of age.
Gait disturbance
MedGen UID:
107895
Concept ID:
C0575081
Finding
The term gait disturbance can refer to any disruption of the ability to walk. In general, this can refer to neurological diseases but also fractures or other sources of pain that is triggered upon walking. However, in the current context gait disturbance refers to difficulty walking on the basis of a neurological or muscular disease.
Postural instability
MedGen UID:
334529
Concept ID:
C1843921
Finding
A tendency to fall or the inability to keep oneself from falling; imbalance. The retropulsion test is widely regarded as the gold standard to evaluate postural instability, Use of the retropulsion test includes a rapid balance perturbation in the backward direction, and the number of balance correcting steps (or total absence thereof) is used to rate the degree of postural instability. Healthy subjects correct such perturbations with either one or two large steps, or without taking any steps, hinging rapidly at the hips while swinging the arms forward as a counterweight. In patients with balance impairment, balance correcting steps are often too small, forcing patients to take more than two steps. Taking three or more steps is generally considered to be abnormal, and taking more than five steps is regarded as being clearly abnormal. Markedly affected patients continue to step backward without ever regaining their balance and must be caught by the examiner (this would be called true retropulsion). Even more severely affected patients fail to correct entirely, and fall backward like a pushed toy soldier, without taking any corrective steps.
Limb dysmetria
MedGen UID:
340244
Concept ID:
C1854489
Finding
A type of dysmetria involving the limbs.
Cerebellar dentate nucleus calcification
MedGen UID:
395215
Concept ID:
C1859273
Finding
Pathological deposition of calcium salts in the dentate nucleus of the cerebellum.
Rigidity
MedGen UID:
7752
Concept ID:
C0026837
Sign or Symptom
Continuous involuntary sustained muscle contraction. When an affected muscle is passively stretched, the degree of resistance remains constant regardless of the rate at which the muscle is stretched. This feature helps to distinguish rigidity from muscle spasticity.
Basal ganglia calcification
MedGen UID:
234651
Concept ID:
C1389280
Pathologic Function
The presence of calcium deposition affecting one or more structures of the basal ganglia.
Abnormal circulating calcium concentration
MedGen UID:
868059
Concept ID:
C4022450
Finding
Any deviation from the normal concentration of calcium in the blood circulation.
Mask-like facies
MedGen UID:
140860
Concept ID:
C0424448
Finding
A lack of facial expression often with staring eyes and a slightly open mouth.

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVIdiopathic basal ganglia calcification 1

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Ding Y, Dong HQ
Chin Med J (Engl) 2018 Apr 5;131(7):799-803. doi: 10.4103/0366-6999.228245. PMID: 29578123Free PMC Article
Sanchez-Contreras M, Baker MC, Finch NA, Nicholson A, Wojtas A, Wszolek ZK, Ross OA, Dickson DW, Rademakers R
Hum Mutat 2014 Aug;35(8):964-71. Epub 2014 Jun 3 doi: 10.1002/humu.22582. PMID: 24796542Free PMC Article
Babbitt DP, Tang T, Dobbs J, Berk R
Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med 1969 Feb;105(2):352-8. doi: 10.2214/ajr.105.2.352. PMID: 4179335

Supplemental Content

Table of contents

    Clinical resources

    Practice guidelines

    • PubMed
      See practice and clinical guidelines in PubMed. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.

    Recent activity

    Your browsing activity is empty.

    Activity recording is turned off.

    Turn recording back on

    See more...