Session Information
Date: Sunday, October 7, 2018
Session Title: Parkinsonism, MSA, PSP (Secondary and Parkinsonism-Plus)
Session Time: 1:45pm-3:15pm
Location: Hall 3FG
Objective: To report a typical progressive supranuclear palsy case with “eye of the tiger sign” on MRI
Background: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP); is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system involved in atypical Parkinsonism syndromes. The classical clinical presentation is postural instability, falls, downward paralysis, frontal dementia, and symmetric akinetic-rigid Parkinsonism. The atrophy of the mesencephalon in the magnetic resonance (MR) examinations is an important marker in the diagnosis of the disease. Recently, a few PSP cases have reported the “eye of the tiger” sign on MRI examinations. The “eye of the tiger” sign, in globus pallidus, is a sign that bilaterally symmetrically located low signal intensity and central longitudinal hyperintensity are observed.
Methods: An eighty tree years old male patient with 3 years history of progressive gait and balance disorder, falls and apathy admitted to our clinic for differential diagnosis. Neurological examination showed apathy, freezing gait, postural instability, vertical gaze palsy, symmetrical upper bradykinesia and axial rigidity.
Results: Cognitive examination showed attention, memory and frontal lobe dysfunction. Brain MRI showed typical mesencephalon atrophy and bilateral symmetrical pallidal hyperintensities resembling “eye of the tiger” sign. Gradient echo sequences also showed bilateral pallidal iron accumulation which is similar to seen in PKAN cases.
Conclusions: Recently, a few PSP cases have reported the “eye of the tiger” sign on MRI examinations. The “eye of the tiger” sign, in globus pallidus, is a sign that bilaterally symmetrically located low signal intensity and central longitudinal hyperintensity are observed. While previously a finding of specificity for the PKAN, it is no longer considered specific because of the reported cases of non-PKAN seen with the “eye of the tiger” sign.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
O. Dogu, H. Genç, N. Öksüz. Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Eye of the Tiger Sign [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2018; 33 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/progressive-supranuclear-palsy-and-eye-of-the-tiger-sign/. Accessed June 14, 2025.« Back to 2018 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/progressive-supranuclear-palsy-and-eye-of-the-tiger-sign/