Binswanger's disease

Binswanger's disease is a rare form of multi-infarct dementia caused by damage to deep white brain matter. It is characterized by loss of memory and intellectual function and by changes in mood.

Binswanger's disease is one of the neurologic syndromes associated with hypertension. It is uncommon, but obviously devastating. 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 arteriolosclerosis.

A patient with long term severe hypertension develops progressive dementia. CT scan of the head demonstrates a diffuse loss of deep hemispheric white matter.