Fahr Syndrome Identified During Evaluation of Recurrent Seizure-Like Activity in a Middle-Aged Woman.
- 1Department of Internal Medicine, McLaren Macomb Hospital, Mount Clemens, USA.
- 2Department of Internal Medicine, Oakland University, Rochester, USA.
Abstract
Fahr syndrome is a rare neurologic disorder characterized by bilateral intracranial calcifications, most commonly involving the basal ganglia, and is typically diagnosed after exclusion of secondary metabolic, infectious, and endocrine causes. Clinical manifestations are variable and may include seizures, cognitive impairment, behavioral changes, movement abnormalities, and altered mental status. We present the case of a 55-year-old woman with recurrent episodes of altered mental status and seizure-like activity whose neuroimaging consistently demonstrated extensive, symmetric cerebral and cerebellar calcifications. Despite multiple hospitalizations and a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, including metabolic, infectious, and structural workup, no alternative etiology was identified. The patient was ultimately diagnosed with Fahr syndrome. This case highlights the importance of recognizing Fahr syndrome in patients with characteristic imaging findings during the evaluation of common neurologic presentations and emphasizes the role of a systematic, exclusion-based approach to diagnosis.
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BibTeX
@article{sekhon2026fahr,
title = {{Fahr Syndrome Identified During Evaluation of Recurrent Seizure-Like Activity in a Middle-Aged Woman.}},
author = {Travis Sekhon and Elias Malouf},
journal = {Cureus},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.7759/cureus.116602},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42904262},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Fahr Syndrome Identified During Evaluation of Recurrent Seizure-Like Activity in a Middle-Aged Woman.
AU - Travis Sekhon
AU - Elias Malouf
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/20
JO - Cureus
DO - 10.7759/cureus.116602
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42904262
AB - Fahr syndrome is a rare neurologic disorder characterized by bilateral intracranial calcifications, most commonly involving the basal ganglia, and is typically diagnosed after exclusion of secondary metabolic, infectious, and endocrine causes. Clinical manifestations are variable and may include seizures, cognitive impairment, behavioral changes, movement abnormalities, and altered mental status. We present the case of a 55-year-old woman with recurrent episodes of altered mental status and seizure-like activity whose neuroimaging consistently demonstrated extensive, symmetric cerebral and cerebellar calcifications. Despite multiple hospitalizations and a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, including metabolic, infectious, and structural workup, no alternative etiology was identified. The patient was ultimately diagnosed with Fahr syndrome. This case highlights the importance of recognizing Fahr syndrome in patients with characteristic imaging findings during the evaluation of common neurologic presentations and emphasizes the role of a systematic, exclusion-based approach to diagnosis.
SN - 2168-8184
ER -