Cerebral calcification: causes

Written and reviewed by Dr Ibrahim Imam, Consultant Neurologist. Last reviewed .

Cerebral calcification: causes. Pineal: this is calcified in two-thirds of adults. Fully referenced neurology checklist.

Physiological causes

  • Pineal: this is calcified in two-thirds of adults
  • Habenula: this is calcified in 15 % of adults
  • Choroid plexus: this is calcified in almost all adults by the age of 40 years
  • Dura mater: this is calcified especially after shunting and irradiation
  • Basal ganglia: this is rare to be calcified under the age of 30 years
  • Falx
  • Tentorium cerebelli 
  • Petroclinoid ligament
  • Sagittal sinus

Genetic causes

Locked: subscribe to see this section.

Neoplastic causes

Locked: subscribe to see this section.

References

  1. Kıroğlu Y, Çallı C, Karabulut N,  Öncel C. Intracranial calcifications on CT. Diagn Interv Radiol 2010; 16:263-269.
  2. Grossman RI, Yousem DM. The Requisites Neuroradiology. 2nd edition. Mosby Philadelphia 2003 pp53-54.
  3. Nicolas G, Pottier C, Charbonnier C, et al; French IBGC Study Group. Phenotypic spectrum of probable and genetically-confirmed idiopathic basal ganglia calcification. Brain 2013; 136:3395-3407. 
  4. Nicolas G, Charbonnier C, de Lemos RR, et al; collaborators from the French IBGC study Group. Brain calcification process and phenotypes according to age and sex: Lessons from SLC20A2, PDGFB, and PDGFRB mutation carriers. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2015; 168:586-594.
  5. Røsby O, Legati A, Coppola G. Primary familial brain calcification in a Norwegian family, caused by a novelSLC20A2 gene mutation. J Neurol 2016; 263:594-596. 
  6. And 12 more. Subscribe to see the full list

Related checklists

Loading...