Ultrassonografia transcraniana na doença de Parkinson Transcranial sonography in Parkinson's disease

ABSTRACT Transcranial sonography has become a useful tool in the differential diagnosis of parkinsonian syndromes. This is a non-invasive, low cost procedure. The main finding on transcranial sonography in patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease is an increased echogenicity of the mesencephalic substantia nigra region. This hyperechogenicity is present in more than 90% of cases, and reflects a dysfunction in the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway. This study discussed how the hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra may facilitate the differential diagnosis of parkinsonian syndromes. Keywords: Parkinson disease/ultrasonography; Ultrasonography, doppler, transcranial; Diagnosis, differential INTRODUCAO A doenca de Parkinson (DP) e uma doenca neurode-generativa frequente e caracteriza-se clinicamente por rigidez “em roda denteada”, tremor de repouso (sinal mais comum), bradicinesia (sinal mais importante e incapacitante) e instabilidade postural (nao associada a disfuncoes primarias visual, cerebelar, propriocep-tiva e vestibular)