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Leukoaraiosis

Case contributed by Bruno Di Muzio
Diagnosis almost certain

Presentation

Complaints of memory loss.

Patient Data

Age: 85 years
Gender: Female

CT Brain

ct

Diffuse periventricular white matter hypoattenuation, non-specific, but most likely represents chronic small vessel disease. 

Case Discussion

Leukoaraiosis (from the Greek: leuko=white and araiosis=rarefaction) is a term given to areas of white matter low attenuation (WMLA) in the brain. Refers to bilateral and either patchy or diffuse areas of hypodensity on CT or hyperintensity on T2-weighted MRI.

The causes of leukoaraiosis are incompletely understood. 

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