Leukoencephalopathy is a structural alteration of cerebral whitematter in which myelin suffers the most damage. Toxic leukoencephalopathymay be caused by exposure to a wide variety of agents, includingcranial irradiation, therapeutic agents, drugs of abuse, andenvironmental toxins.1 Toxic leukoencephalopathy particularlyinvolves white-matter tracts devoted to higher cerebral function,causing clinical features that range from inattention, forgetfulness,and changes in personality to dementia, coma, and death. Thisreview focuses on white-matter damage caused by toxins as distinguishedfrom that caused by disorders such as multiple sclerosis, cerebrovasculardisease, and metabolic disturbances.2
From the Departments of Neurology (C.M.F., B.K.K.-D.), Pathology, (B.K.K.-D.), and Psychiatry (C.M.F.), University of Colorado School of Medicine, and the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center (C.M.F.) both in Denver.
Address reprint requests to Dr. Filley at the Behavioral Neurology Section, UCHSC B-183, 4200 E. Ninth Ave., Denver, CO 80262, or at christopher.filley@uchsc.edu.
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