Pediatric neurodegenerative white matter processes: leukodystrophies and beyond.
Pediatric neurodegenerative white matter processes are complex, numerous and result from a vast array of causes ranging from white matter injury or inflammation to congenital metabolic disorders. When faced with a neurodegenerative white matter process on neuroimaging, the first step for the radiologist is to determine whether the findings represent a congenital metabolic leukodystrophy or one of various other white matter processes. In this review we first describe a general approach to neurodegenerative white matter disorders. We will briefly describe a few white matter diseases that mimic metabolic leukodystrophies. In the second half of the review we discuss an approach to distinguishing and classifying white matter leukodystrophies.
Phelan
Jonathan A
JA
Department of Radiology, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, and The Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics, 1750 Independence Ave., Kansas City, MO 64106, USA. jphelan@kcumb.edu
Lowe
Lisa H
LH
Glasier
Charles M
CM
D002648:Child; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology