Neurológia pre prax 5/2021

Use of transcranial sonography for the diagnosis of patients with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia

Transcranial sonography (TCS) is a quick, inexpensive, widely available and well applicable examination in the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and Lewy body dementia (LBD), especially for screening in the early and prodromal stages of these diseases. Patients with PD and DLB reveal increased echogenicity of substantia nigra (SN). The SN hyperechogenicity particularly reflects excessive iron accumulation and tissue degeneration. The aim of this review is to describe the role and utility of TCS in the diagnosis of patients with PD and LBD, including a focus on their prodromal stages and differential diagnosis. In the asymptomatic period, the finding of SN hyperechogenicity is considered to be one of the risk factors for the development of synucleinopathies, especially PD. The results of TCS studies are placed in the context of diagnostic criteria for PD and LBD.

Keywords: Parkinson‘s disease, Lewy body dementia, atypical Parkinsonian syndromes, substantia nigra hyperechogenicity, neurosonology, diagnostic criteria