Introduction. Transcranial sonography (TCS) is a relatively new ultrasound modality which could display echogenicity of human brain tissue through the intact skull. TCS may be useful in differentiation of idiopathic Parkinsons disease (PD) from other parkinsonian disorders. Therefore, we studied different ultrasound markers by TCS in individuals with Parkinsons disease. Patients and Methods. We performed TCS in 44 patients with PD and 22 patients with other parkinsonian disorders. Echogenic sizes of the substantia nigra (SN) and the lentiform nuclei (LN), as well as the width of the third ventricle and the frontal horns of the lateral ventricle, were measured. We also analyzed the echogenicity of the brainstem raphe (BR). Results. An unilateral hyperechogenic SN was observed in 31 (70%) patients with PD and only in 2 patients (9%) with other parkinsonian disorders (P
Key words: Transcranial Brain Sonography, Basal ganglia echogenicity, Parkinsons disease, Parkinsonian syndromes, Differential diagnosis.
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