July - September 2020, Volume 16, Issue 3

Manea MM, Sirbu A, Dragos D, Dobri AM, Sirbu AG, Tuta S

Epileptic Seizures as te First Manifestation of Fahr’s Syndrome

Acta Endo (Buc) 2020, 16 (3): 370-374
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2020.370

Introduction. Hypoparathyroidism is a rare endocrine disorder, leading to complications affecting the kidneys, the eyes, the cerebrum (Fahr’s syndrome, epilepsy, parkinsonism, cognitive impairment), and the heart. Case report. We present the case of a 24-year old male that presented to our clinic for generalized tonicclonic seizures increasing in frequency for the last year or so. Furthermore, he was diagnosed with subcapsular cataract of both eyes and had intraocular lens implant surgery 12 years ago. CT scan performed at admission showed calcium deposits on the dentate nuclei, basal ganglia, thalamus, cerebellum and bilateral subcortical fronto-parietal white matter compatible with Fahr’s disease. The results of the laboratory tests were normal except for hypocalcemia, hyperphosphoremia and low intact parathormone (iPTH). The patient was diagnosed with primary hypoparathyroidism which led to Fahr’s syndrome. The patient was prescribed oral medication including calcium carbonate, calcidiol, magnesium orotate and levetiracetam. The follow-up after three months revealed a seizure free status and normalization of magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus levels. Conclusion. Fahr’s syndrome can be a cause of epileptic seizures and should be considered in the clinical approach to an epileptic patient, especially in children, teenagers, and young adults.

Keywords: Fahr’s syndrome, primary hypoparathyroidism, epileptic seizures

Correspondence: Maria Mirabela Manea MD, National Institute of Neurology and Neurovascular Diseases, Berceni, 10-12, Bucharest 41914, Romania, E-mail: myrabella_manea@yahoo.com