What does white matter lesions mean?

Protein is an important component of the central nervous system and is where nerve fibers gather. If there is a protein lesion, it often leads to myelin damage in the central nervous cells, which in turn causes protein lesions and a series of symptoms in the nervous system. Usually, clinically, it causes visual-motor, cerebellar cognitive and other functional diseases and symptoms.

Causes of white matter lesions

The causes of white matter lesions are complex and diverse, and can be broadly divided into acquired demyelination and hereditary myelination disorders. 1. Acquired demyelinating diseases (1) Immune disorders ① Multiple sclerosis (MS); ② Optic neuritis; ③ Transverse myelitis; ④ Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis; ⑤ Acute necrotizing hemorrhagic encephalomyelitis; ⑥ Cerebellitis; ⑦ Paraneoplastic encephalomyelopathy; ⑧ Rheumatoid arthritis; ⑨ Systemic lupus erythematosus; ⑩ Neurological Behcet's syndrome.

Clinical manifestations

The clinical manifestations of white matter lesions are complex and varied, depending on the location and severity of the lesions. The clinical manifestations of demyelinating diseases of different natures vary greatly. For example, multiple sclerosis is mostly a chronic disease, with more than half of the cases experiencing relapses and remissions. The ratio of female to male incidence is 2:1, and the age of onset is usually 20 to 40 years old.

About half of the patients present with limb weakness, numbness or both as the first symptom; typical signs include: limb paralysis, visual impairment, nystagmus and eye muscle paralysis, cranial nerve damage, sensory impairment, ataxia, paroxysmal neurological symptoms, cognitive dysfunction, autonomic nerve dysfunction, mental disorder, etc. An inherited myelinating disorder that begins in infancy or childhood and often has features of involvement of other systems.