Decrease in the volume of white matter lesions with improvement of hepatic encephalopathy.
MR imaging has found abnormalities compatible with low-grade edema in the brain of patients with cirrhosis that have been related to hepatic encephalopathy. We present 3 patients with hepatic encephalopathy who exhibit supratentorial focal or diffuse white matter lesions compatible with small-vessel brain disease. The volume and number of white matter lesions reduced with the improvement of hepatic encephalopathy, suggesting the participation of the blood-brain barrier in the pathogenesis of brain edema in hepatic encephalopathy.
Mínguez
B
B
Servicio de Medicina Interna-Hepatología, Hospital Universitario Valle Hebron, Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona Spain.
Rovira
A
A
Alonso
J
J
Córdoba
J
J
D000368:Aged; D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009355:Neomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain; D009355:Neomycin