[Preferentially affected sites of cerebral arteriosclerosis in vascular dementia of Binswanger type--a study of MRI and MR angiography].

MRI and MR angiography (MRA) were analyzed to evaluate the preferential sites of cerebral arteriosclerosis in 129 normal controls and 27 patients with vascular dementia of Binswanger type (BVD; mean age 75.0 years). Small vessel disease, indicated as advanced high intensity areas on T2-weighted MRI, increased with advancing age, while large vessel sclerosis detected with MRA did not increase after the age of 80 years. Large vessel sclerosis was not always accompanied with advanced high intensity areas. Large vessel sclerosis was found in 12 (44.4%) of 27 patients with BVD, and was as common as that of the controls of the eighth decade. Large vessel sclerosis was frequently seen in the cases suffering from BVD below 70 years of age or with hypertension. In conclusion, patients with BVD develop cerebral arteriosclerosis more preferentially in the small vessels rather than the large vessels especially in aged cases, of which incidence is similar to that of the normal controls over 80 years of age.