Brain calcifications are best observed on CT scans. The term calcification is used sometimes in a generic sense to refer to any type of mineralization, though true calcification is by far the most common form. The calcifications are often due to calcium deposition in the media of medium-size blood vessels, without compromising the lumina.
Calcifications in the basal ganglia differ from calcifications in other areas of the brain in the diseases and processes that produce the calcifications.
A guide to MRI for patients and families is at this link and a guide to CT is at this link.
The differential diagnosis is discussed in a GeneReviews article.
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