Brain iron accumulation on MRI revealing aceruloplasminemia: a rare cause of simultaneous brain and systemic iron overload

Aceruloplasminemia is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of iron accumulation in the brain. It is one of the subtypes of Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation and is characterized by the uniform involvement of all basal ganglia, thalami, dentate nuclei, and cortex. Aceruloplasminemia is the only known iron overload disorder in which brain and systemic iron overload are combined. Here, we present a 53-year-old female who had progressive cognitive disorders with motor deficits. MRI showed extensive and abundant iron deposited in the brain and in the liver.