Leukoencephalopathy

The term leukoencephalopathy embraces essentially any disorder involving the white matter of the central nervous system. Such disorders may result from mutations in genes encoding the components of myelin or associated molecules, or may be acquired manifestations of vascular, inflammatory, infectious, traumatic, toxic, nutritional, or neoplastic disease. Leukoencephalopathies, in general, produce symptoms and signs related to disruption of fiber tracts within the nervous system, particularly spasticity, visual impairment related to interruption of the visual pathways and, later in the illness, cognitive deficits related to disconnection of various cortical and subcortical regions.