Psychiatric symptomatology in early-onset Binswanger's disease: two case reports.

We describe two cases of Binswanger's disease of pre-senile onset which presented with affective and psychotic symptoms well before the appearance of cognitive deterioration and neurological signs, initially evading an accurate diagnosis. Psychiatrists should be aware of white matter disease and its role in the pathogenesis of psychiatric illness. Particular attention should be given to a history of hypertension as a risk factor in the early identification of these cases.