Depressive disorder in a patient with Binswanger's disease. Case report
Depressive disorder in a patient with Binswanger's disease. Case report

Summary/Abstract: Binswanger's disease is a progressive neurological disorder which affects the small vessels at the level of the white brain matter and the subcortical brain structures (basal ganglia and thalamus). It is a type of vascular leukoencephalopathy which can lead to cognitive impairments and neurological deficiencies, oftentimes being difficult to diagnose and the establishment of a diagnosis requires a multi-modal approach.The concept of „leukoencephalopathy” relates to a group of illnesses characterized by the atrophy of the white brain matter of various etiology: vascular, toxic, infectious and genetic.It is expected that VCI (vascular cognitive impairment), which is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, is going to increase given the phenomenon of population ageing. The small vessel disease (SVD) is a major form of vascular cognitive damage and among the most likely to be treated. The small vessel disease derives from a variety of pathological processes including lacunar strokes but also as a result of white matter lesions (WMLs). In conclusion, Binswanger’s disease (BD) is a form of vascular cognitive damage related to the damage of small brain vessels, characterized by white matter hyperintensities with progressive subcortical ischemia. Due to their vascular etiology, the physical symptoms associated with Binswanger’s disease might aggravate sharply because of a cerebrovascular accident and these patients usually develop focal neurological signs, change of walk and cognitive impairment. Generally, the progression of the symptomatology extends over a 5-10 years period, but the general health condition of the patient continues to worsen as blood vessels become more and more obstructed.

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