Introduction/objective: Various pathological changes have been attributed to leukoaraiosis. Some investigators have suggested that increase in interstitial water may partly contribute to leukoaraiosis. We hypothesized that leukoaraiosis may be attenuated by compression to the cerebral hemisphere if interstitial water may partly contribute to leukoaraiosis. We retrospectively reviewed patients with unilateral chronic subdural hematomas (CSDHs) to investigate the difference in appearance of leukoaraiosis between both cerebral hemispheres.
Methods and material: Leukoaraiosis on T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images at the levels of the centrum semiovale and those of the frontal horns of both cerebral hemispheres in five contiguous patients with unilateral CSDHs were scored. The difference in the leukoaraiosis scores on the ipsilateral side and contralateral side of the CSDH was analyzed.
Results: Leukoaraiosis was less prominent on the ipsilateral side of the CSDHs than on the contralateral side of the CSDHs, both at the level of the centrum semiovale (P=0.02) and that of the frontal horns (P=0.03).
Discussion and conclusion: Our results support the theories that interstitial water may partly contribute to the appearance of leukoaraiosis on MR images.