Binswanger's Disease

Binswanger's disease is an extremely rare form of dementia characterized by cerebrovascular lesions in the deep white-matter of the brain, loss of memory and cognition, and mood changes. Patients usually show signs of abnormal blood pressure, stroke, blood abnormalities, disease of the large blood vessels in the neck, and disease of the heart valves.

Other prominent features of the disease include urinary incontinence, difficulty walking, parkinsonian-like tremors, and depression. These symptoms, which tend to begin after the age of 60, are not always present in all patients and may sometimes appear only as a passing phase. Seizures may also be present.

There is no specific course of treatment for Binswanger's disease. Treatment is symptomatic, often involving the use of medications to control high blood pressure, depression, heart arrhythmias and low blood pressure.

Binswanger's disease is a slowly progressive condition for which there is no cure. The disorder is often marked by strokes and partial recovery. Patients with this disorder usually die within 5 years after its onset.

Information provided by the
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke,
National Institutes of Health

Each year, Medical College of Wisconsin physicians care for more than 180,000 patients, representing nearly 500,000 patient visits. Medical College physicians practice at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, and many other hospitals and clinics in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.