Abstract
Introduction
Fahr's syndrome is a rare but severe brain complication of hypoparathyroidism and its consequences.
Case Presentation
A 72-year-old female patient was hospitalized in intensive care unit after two generalized seizures along with a severe hypocalcemia, due to hypoparathyroidism following a thyroidectomy for benign nodules and poor compliance with calcium treatment with treatment due to cognitive disorders. Brain CT showed cortical atrophy and extensive bilateral symmetrical calcifications of the cerebellum, thalami and basal ganglia, typical of Fahr’s syndrome.
Conclusion
Nephrologists should be aware Fahr's syndrome in patients with hypoparathyroidism, it is associated with an increased risk of seizures. Thus, the control of calcemia in hypoparathyroidism is important, especially in patients with brain calcifications.
References
Han P, Trinidad BJ, Shi J (2015) Hypocalcemia-induced seizure: demystifying the calcium paradox. ASN Neuro 7(2):175909141557805
Lauterbach EC, Spears TE, Prewett MJ, Price ST, Jackson JG, Kirsh AD (1994) Neuropsychiatric disorders, myoclonus, and dystonia in calcification of basal ganglia pathways. Biol Psychiatry 35(5):345–351
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ALH, IGC an MB were in charge of the patient. JFH interpreted the imaging. ALH drafted the manuscript. JFH made the figures. MB supervised the work. JFH, IGC and MB revised the manuscript critically and approved the final version.
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Procedures followed were in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. The data was anonymized. The patient gave his informed consent for the publication of her data.
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Le Hir, A., Hak, JF., Gragueb-Chatti, I. et al. Hypocalcemia-induced seizure with Fahr’s syndrome. J Nephrol 35, 1047–1048 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40620-022-01260-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40620-022-01260-w