Fahr’s Syndrome Secondary to Hypoparathyroidism Presenting with Paralysis and Recurrent Seizures: A Case Report
Muhammad Candragupta Jihwaprani, Evan Gintang Kumara
Asian Journal of Medicine and Health · pp. 113–120 · Published 28 Jun 2023
10.9734/ajmah/2023/v21i9865Abstract
Aim: To describe a rare case of Fahr’s syndrome (FS) associated with chronic post-surgical hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia. Case Presentation: A 63-year-old female with a previous history of total thyroidectomy and hemiplegia presented to our hospital with altered mentation and recurrent generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Laboratory evaluation revealed hypoparathyroidism, hypocalcemia, and hypokalemia. Head computed tomography (CT) scan was consistent with FS, demonstrating extensive, bilateral, and symmetrical calcified deposits in the brain, predominantly in basal ganglia, corona radiata, and cerebellar hemispheres. The association with post-surgical hypoparathyroidism and relevant biochemical indices determined the suspected etiology of the pathologic process of ectopic calcification. Discussion: FS is a rare, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by abnormal bilateral ectopic calcified deposits in the basal ganglia and other brain structures. FS presents with a wide variety of neurological and psychiatric manifestations. The diagnosis is confirmed by neuroimaging studies such as a head CT scan or magnetic resonance imaging, which displays the calcification of BG and other structures in a bilateral and symmetrical pattern. Biochemical analysis may adjunctively identify the underlying risk factor of the disease. Conclusion: Our case represents a long-term severe consequence of untreated post-surgical hypoparathyroidism, which has consequently led to irreversible secondary FS. Maintenance of eucalcemic and euphosphatemic states is essential to prevent the progression of ectopic cerebral calcification.
References (20)
- 1 European Society of Endocrinology Clinical Guideline: Treatment of chronic hypoparathyroidism in adults [DOI]
- 2 Management of Hypoparathyroidism: Summary Statement and Guidelines [DOI]
- 3 Fahr’s syndrome: literature review of current evidence [DOI]
- 4 Corrigenda [DOI]
- 5 Prevalence and progression of basal ganglia calcification and its pathogenic mechanism in patients with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism [DOI]
- 6 Hypoparathyroidism [DOI]
- 7 Basal ganglia calcifications (Fahr’s syndrome): related conditions and clinical features [DOI]
- 8 Review of Hypoparathyroidism [DOI]
- 9 Daily parathyroid hormone 1-34 replacement therapy for hypoparathyroidism induces marked changes in bone turnover and structure [DOI]
- 10 Effects of parathyroid hormone rhPTH(1–84) on phosphate homeostasis and vitamin D metabolism in hypoparathyroidism: REPLACE phase 3 study [DOI]
- 11 Fahr's Disease or Fahr's Syndrome?
- 12 From variome to phenome: Pathogenesis, diagnosis and management of ectopic mineralization disorders [DOI]
- 13 Mini-review: new therapeutic options in hypoparathyroidism [DOI]
- 14 Expression of Osteogenic Molecules in the Caudate Nucleus and Gray Matter and Their Potential Relevance for Basal Ganglia Calcification in Hypoparathyroidism [DOI]
- 15 Fahr’s syndrome due to hypoparathyroidism revisited: A case of parkinsonism and a review of all published cases [DOI]
- 16 Current treatment of hypoparathyroidism: Theory versus reality waiting guidelines for children and adolescents. [DOI]
- 17 Ectopic Calcification: What Do We Know and What Is the Way Forward? [DOI]
- 18 Fahr′s disease and psychiatric syndromes: A case series [DOI]
- 19 The current status of “Fahr’s disease” nosology [DOI]
- 20 Fahr’s syndrome secondary to hypoparathyroidism presenting with paralysis and recurrent seizures: a case report [DOI]
Cited by 2
Fahad S. Alrashidi · Cureus · 2025
Andreas Posa, S. Schob, Walter A Wohlgemuth · Case Reports in Neurological Medicine · 2025
Related research
- Drug-resistant Epilepsy Revealing Pseudo-hypoparathyroidism — shares topic coverage
- Total and Near-total Thyroidectomy is Better Than Subtotal Thyroidecomy for the Treatment of Bilateral Bening Multinodular Goiter; A Prospective Analysis — shares topic coverage
- Patients with Parathyroid Disorders: Oral Manifestations and Dental Management — shares topic coverage
- Heart Failure: A Rare Complication of Hypocalcemia — shares topic coverage
- Hypocalcemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy Following Total Thyroidectomy: A Reversible Complication of Secondary Hypoparathyroidism — shares topic coverage
Article metrics
Real usage data collected on this platform.
0
Page views
0
PDF downloads
0
Outbound clicks
2
Citations
Views by country
Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".
No views recorded yet.
Traffic sources
Referring site, by host.
No traffic recorded yet.
Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.