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Decrease in the volume of white matter lesions with improvement of hepatic encephalopathy

B Mínguez1, A Rovira, J Alonso

  • 1Servicio de Medicina Interna-Hepatología, Hospital Universitario Valle Hebron, Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona Spain.

AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology
|September 12, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Brain imaging in cirrhosis patients reveals white matter lesions linked to hepatic encephalopathy. These lesions shrink as encephalopathy improves, suggesting blood-brain barrier involvement in brain edema.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Radiology
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a neuropsychiatric complication of cirrhosis.
  • MR imaging has shown brain abnormalities, including edema, in patients with HE.

Observation:

  • This study details three patients with HE exhibiting supratentorial white matter lesions.
  • These lesions were consistent with small-vessel brain disease.

Findings:

  • The volume and number of white matter lesions decreased as HE symptoms improved.
  • This suggests a dynamic process related to the severity of HE.

Implications:

  • The findings suggest the blood-brain barrier plays a role in the development of brain edema in HE.
  • Further research into blood-brain barrier function could offer new therapeutic targets for HE.

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