More articles from Brain

Because endothelial cell abnormalities are found in white matter hyperintensities and cavernous malformations, the authors set out to determine if an increased number of white matter lesions was present in 191 patients with familial cerebral cavernous malformations all carrying the same gene defect. Results were compared with those obtained via logistic regression analysis in healthy controls and patients with sporadic cavernous malformations. White matter lesions were found in 15% of patients with the familial disease, 2% of healthy controls, and 2.5% of those with sporadic malformations. In patients with the familial disease, only age was associated with white matter lesions.

MR studies in more than 1500 patients with dementia revealed that 22% had microbleedsthat were predominantly lobar and occipital in cases of Alzheimer disease. Patients with microbleeds were older, male, and hypertensive. Prevalence, location, and risk factors of microbleeds varied depending on dementia diagnosis and may be taken into account when anticoagulating such patients.