DEMENTIA WITH LEUCOARAIOSIS AND DURAL ARTERIOVENOUS MALFORMATION - CLINICAL AND PET CASE-STUDY

A case of rapidly progressive dementia with diffuse leucoaraiosis on C T was attributable to a supratentorial dural arteriovenous malformatio n. Positron emission tomography (PET) showed low cerebral blood flow a nd high oxygen extraction ratio throughout the cerebral hemispheres in dicating a state of chronic haemodynamic compromise which could predis pose to the development of a vascular dementia. CT images of dilated i ntracerebral veins suggested that a venous drainage overload rather th an a vascular steal phenomenon might be involved in the pathophysiolog y of the dementia of vascular origin.