Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Binswanger Disease
Introduction
Synonyms and keywords: Subcortical leukoencephalopathy; progressive vascular leukoencephalopathy; subcortical arteriosclerotic encephalopathy
Overview
Overview
Binswanger’s disease is a rare form of multi-infarct dementia caused by damage to deep white brain matter. It is characterized by memory loss and intellectual function and by changes in mood. It is associated with longstanding hypertension.
Pathophysiology
Pathophysiology
The histologic findings are diffuse, irregular loss of axons and myelin accompanied by widespread gliosis. Small infarcts may be seen in the frontal lobes. The pathologic mechanism may be damage caused by severe atherosclerosis.
A patient with long term severe hypertension develops progressive dementia.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis
CT
CT scans of the head demonstrates a diffuse loss of deep hemispheric white matter.
Treatment
Treatment
Binswanger’s disease has no known treatment, let alone cure, although drugs used to treat high blood pressure, depression, arrhythmia and low blood pressure are used to treat the condition’s symptoms.[1]
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]