Hemineglect and seizures in Binswanger's disease: clinical-pathological report

The range of clinical effects from ischaemic damage to white matter in Binswanger's disease has not been fully characterised. Although focal deficits and seizures occur frequently, superficial infarcts often coexist, making the cause of these symptoms unclear. The case of a 69 year old woman is described who presented with acute left sided weakness and hemispatial neglect, followed a year later by electrographically documented seizures originating from the right hemisphere. Interim examinations showed bilateral pyramidal signs and mild intellectual decline. Serial CT and MRI studies showed bilateral diffuse ischaemic lesions of the cerebral white matter and old left sided lacunar infarcts but no evidence of acute infarction. Post-mortem examination showed gliosis and demyelination of the deep white matter which spared the subcortical arcuate fibres; this is consistent with Binswanger's disease. The neocortex was normal. This case and previous reports indicate that focal symptoms typically referable to the grey matter, including hemineglect and seizures, may occur as a manifestation of subcortical ischaemic injury to white matter in Binswanger's disease.