Ultrasound Evaluation of Substantia Nigra in Patients with Parkinsonian Syndromes

Czech version

Authors: P. Bártová ¹; D. Školoudík ^1,2; T. Fadrná ¹; P. Ressner ³; M. Bar ¹; R. Herzig ²; P. Kaňovský ²
Authors‘ workplace: Neurologická klinika FNsP Ostrava ¹; Neurologická klinika LF UP a FN Olomouc ²; Neurologické oddělení nemocnice Nový Jičín ³
Published in: Cesk Slov Neurol N 2007; 70/103(6): 653-657
Category: Original Paper

Předneseno formou přednášky na 16^th Meeting of the European Neurological Society, Lausanne, Švýcarsko, 29. 5. 2006, 21. sjezdu Slovenských a českých mladých neurologů, Martin, Slovensko, 17. 2. 2006, 6. neurosonologických dnnech v Olomouci 5. 5. 2006 a formou posteru na 10^th Congress of the European Federation of Neurological Societies, Glasgow, UK 4. 9. 2006 a 10^th International Congress of Parkinsons disease and Movement Disorders, Kyoto, Japonsko 2. 11. 2006.

Overview

The hyperechogenic and extended area of the substantia nigra is detectable in more than 90 % of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, its maximum rate of incidence in healthy population is 10 %. The objective of our study was to detect the rate of incidence of hyperechogenic or extended substantia nigra in patients with atypical Parkinsonian syndrome (APS).

Method:
Over 15 months, we performed transcranial sonography in 209 patients with PD, multisystem atrophy (MSA), vascular Parkinsonian syndrome (VPS) and essential tremor (ET). Both PD and healthy patients were selected for the control group.

Results:
Hyperechogenic SN was detected in 42.9 % patients with MSA, in 10 % with ET and in 18.2 % with VP. The rate of incidence of extended area of SN larger than 0.25 cm² was 50 % for patients with MSA, 20 % for patients with VPS and 27.3 % for patients with ET. The rate of incidence of the hyperechogenic, extended area of SN was significantly higher in PD patients (84.7 %) and MSA patients (50 %) (p > 0.05) as compared with VPS patients (27.3 %), ET patients (20 %) and healthy volunteers (0 %).

Conclusion:
The rate of incidence of hyperechogenic, extended area of SN is significantly higher in patients with PD and MSA. TCS detection of SN can be used as an additional method in differential diagnostics of PD and of atypical Parkinsonian syndromes.

Key words:
transcranial sonography – substantia nigra – multisystem atrophy – vascular parkinsonism – essential tremor

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