Risk factors for the occurrence and development of Binswanger disease: A controlled observation

BACKGROUND： Some scholars think that hypertension is the major risk factor to cause Binswanger disease （BD）, however, BD is also found in some persons with normal blood pressure, so we presume that some other factors, such as diabetes mellitus, hyperlipemia, coronary heart disease and transient ischemic attacks and so on, might participant in the onset of BD. OBJECTIVE： To comparatively observe the difference in accompanying diseases, transcranial doppler （TCD） performance, blood glucose and blood lipid level between BD patients and healthy subjects who received health examination, and between BD patients with different disease condition. DESIGN ： Case-control analysis SETTING ： Department of Emergency, Qingdao Municipal Hospita PARTICIPANTS： Totally 126 patients with BD, 65 male and 61 female, aged from 67 to 85 years old, who hospitalized in the Medical School Hospital of Qingdao University and Qingdao Municipal People＇s Hospital, were chosen, serving as BD patients group. All the patients met the clinical diagnostic criteria of BD introduced by Bennett et al. Another 126 persons, 65 male and 61 female, aged ranging from 67 to 80 years, who received health examination in the same hospital, were homeochronously chosen, serving as control group. Informed consents were obtained from all the subjects. METHODS ： After being admitted, all the subjects including BD patients and persons who homeochrenously received health examination in the same hospital were given examinations of blood pressure, blood lipid, blood glucose, electrocardiogram （ECG） and TCD. Fifty-seven patients with BD were in the stable period and 69 in the progressive period （Stable period： no local or subcortical function disorder found, and no changes in the range of white matter lesion showed by CT and/or MRI in recent 3 months; Progressive period： with local or subcortical function disorder and increase in the range of white matter lesion showed by CT and/or MRI in recent 3 months）. According to intimal thickening of carotid artery and vertebral artery preformed by TCD, BD was graded as mild intimal thickening （〈 1.1 mm）, moderate intimal thickening （1.1 to 1.2 mm） and severe intimal thickening （〉 1.2 mm）. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES ： Comparison of the ratio of BD patients with accompanied diabetes mellitus, hypedipemia, coronary heart disease and transient ischemic attacks, TCD performance, blood glucose and blood lipid level between BD patients group and control group, and among BD patients with vadous disease conditions. RESULTS： Totally 126 BD patients and 126 subjects who received health examination all participated in the result analysis. Intergroup comparison： ①The ratio of BD patients with accompanied hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypedipemia, transient ischemic attacks and coronary heart disease was 91.3%, 46.8%, 42.9%, 81.7% and 46.0% respectively in the BD patients group, and that was 36.5%, 17.5%, 15.9%, 34.1% and 34.1%, respectively in the control group. Significant difference existed between two groups （x^2=86.201, 24.907,25.660,58.620,9.900, P 〈 0.01 ）.②Compared with control group, anterior, middle cerebral and vertebrobasilar arteriosclerosis and insufficient cerebral blood supply existed significantly in BD patients with different disease condition （x^2=40.34,7.585,15.429, P 〈 0.01 ）.③Compared with control group, the level of blood glucose, total cholesterol and triglyceride of BD patients increased significantly （t=6.939,3.891,3.711 ,P 〈 0.01 ）. Comparison among BD patients with different disease condition： ① Compared with stable period, transient ischemic attacks and coronary heart disease were found much in the BD patients at progressive period, with significant difference （x^2=7.196,13.517,P 〈 0.01 ）.② Mild arteriosclerosis at stable period was found in 17 cases, and significant difference existed compared with progressive period （x^2=6.523,P 〈 0.05）.③ There was no significant difference in the blood glucose and blood lipid level （t=-1.755 6,0.583 1,0.824 6, P 〉 0.05）. CONCLUSION： Hypertension, cerebral arteriosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, hypedipemia, coronary heart disease and transient ischemic attacks have important effects on the onset of BD; Transient ischemic attacks and coronary heart disease can worsen the symptoms of BD patients.

A 55 Year Old Man with Progressive Neurologic Deficits

At least 50% of the decline in functional abilities associated with the elderly is caused by neurological conditions, particularly vascular dementia, such as occurs in Binswanger disease. Binswanger disease is a rare condition, characterized by acute strokes with symptoms and signs compatible with lacunar infarction. The disease onset is commonly between 55 and 75 years. The majority of patients with Binswanger disease have chronic hypertension and other putative factors including diabetes mellitus, polycythemia, thrombocytosis, hyperlipidemia, hyperglobulinemia and pseudoxanthoma elasticum, increased fibrinogen levels and the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. We report the case of a 55 year old man, who suffered from involuntary movements of his right ann, slight hemiparesis on the right side, and also had dementia. He had a history of high blood pressure and laboratory tests showed that he had diabetes mellitus. The brain magnetic resonance imaging showed irregular white matter abnormalities with multiple lacunar infarcts in the basal ganglia and pons. The clinical picture is characterized by acute strokes, followed by involuntary movements and also dementia. Therefore we decided to diagnose it as Binswanger disease. After discharge from hospital, the patient has not returned for follow-up.

Astudy of platelet organelles and mem brane glycoprotein in patientswith Binswanger’s disease

Objective To discuss the possible role of platelets in Binswanger’s disease by studying the changes of organelles and membrane glycoprotein in platelets Methods The organelles (dense bodies, alpha granules, and mitochondria) within platelets were measured with transmission electron microscopy in 25 patients with Binswanger’s disease and matched controls, while alpha granule membrane glycoprotein CD62 and lysosomal integral membrane glycoprotein CD63 on platelet membrane were analyzed by flow cytometry Results The percentage of CD62 positive platelets was 3 6%±2 1% and 5 7%±2 4% in controls and in patients, respectively ( P <0 01) The percentage of CD63 expression platelets was 3 1%±2 2% and 3 2%±2 3% in controls and patients, respectively ( P >0 05) When compared with controls, platelets of patients contained fewer alpha granules ( P <0 01), and had no changes in dense bodies and mitochondria ( P >0 05) CD62 levels were different among patients with regarding to the degree of white matter low attenuation Conclusion There is selective degranuation of platelets in patients with Binswanger’s disease and the abnormalities of platelet secretion may play a role in the pathophysiology of this illness

The clinical manifestations and pathophysiology of cerebral small vessel disease

Small vessel disease （SVD） is responsible for brain chronic circular disorder,and accounts for 20%–30%cases of ischemic stroke as well as cerebral hemorrhage,and to a great extent,encephalopathy.Binswanger’s disease and multiple small strokes,which are common in older people,are also closely associated with SVD.These disorders often cause decline in cognition,vascular dementia,impairment in gait and balance,mood depression,and urinary incontinence,and often brings great social and economic burdens.SVD-related encephalopathy increases the incidences of fall,disability and death in elderly people.With the aging of the society,more attention should be paid to the importance of early diagnosis and prophylactic treatment of SVD.Here the clinical manifestations and pathophysiology of SVD are reviewed.