[Toxic changes of the central nervous system]

Various toxic agents can cause changes to the white matter of the brain leading to leukoencephalopathies. These changes often lead to signal alterations of the white matter with or without a diffusion restriction signal. White matter lesions can be reversible or irreversible. There are many differential diagnoses of toxic leukoencephalopathies.

For the radiologist it is necessary to be familiar with the causes, the clinical and the imaging presentation of toxic leukoencephalopathies because early treatment often leads to improved prognosis.