RT Book, Section
A1 Gorman, Mark P.
A2 Rudolph, Colin D.
A2 Rudolph, Abraham M.
A2 Lister, George E.
A2 First, Lewis R.
A2 Gershon, Anne A.
SR Print(0)
ID 7059282
T1 Chapter 576. Leukoencephalopathies
T2 Rudolph's Pediatrics, 22e
YR 2011
FD 2011
PB The McGraw-Hill Companies
PP New York, NY
SN 978-0-07-149723-7
LK accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=7059282
RD 2024/04/20
AB Leukoencephalopathies  comprise  a  clinical  and  radiographic  heterogeneous  group  of  disorders.  All  these  disorders  share  the  common  features  of  neurologic  dysfunction  and  preferential  involvement  of  CNS  white  matter.  Although  white  matter  can  be  affected  by  many  different  processes,  the  term  leukodystrophy  is  generally  reserved  for  those  with  an  identified  or  presumed  genetic  basis  that  is  associated  with  a  loss  of  previously  formed  myelin.  Acquired  causes  of  white  matter  dysfunction  include  infectious  (such  as  encephalitis),  inflammatory  (such  as  acute  disseminated  encephalomyelitis  and  multiple  sclerosis;  see  Chapter  556,  nutritional  (such  as  vitamin  B12  deficiency),  and  neoplastic  (such  as  astrocytoma)  etiologies.  When  evaluating  a  patient  with  a  suspected  leukoencephalopathy,  these  acquired  disorders  should  be  considered  and  excluded  with  specific  testing  when  clinically  indicated.