[Neuroradiologic and pathologic approaches to the diagnosis of dementia syndrome]

"Dementia" is the general term used to describe the symptom complex of intellectual deterioration in adult. Interest in accurately diagnosing dementia is a relatively recent phenomenon. This is reflected in both the development of neuroradiologic examinations, including MRI and SPECT as well as PET, and marked increase in both the incidence and prevalence of dementia associated with increase of the elderly population. The clinical evaluation remains the key to the differential diagnosis. Most cases of "typical dementia" can be diagnosed accurately by clinical criteria. However, the definitive diagnosis of "atypical dementia" still requires intensive neuroradiologic studies and histologic examination of brain to identify characteristic structural changes. In this study, we presented both neuroradiologic and neuropathologic information, which is important in diagnosing diseases that present atypical dementia syndrome. These diseases are as follows; AIDS, isolated CNS angiitis, CO intoxication. Wernicke encephalopathy, adrenoleukodystrophy, Nasu disease, CADASIL, CARASIL, glioblastoma, primary CNS lymphoma, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome, mitochondrial encephalopathy (MELAS), and subcortical vascular dementias.