Abstract: The term Leukoaraiosis is used to describe diffuse white matter abnormalities oncomputer tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans. It is one type ofsmall vessel disease and defined as diffuse, confluent white matter abnormality (low density onCT, hyperintensity on T2-weighted or fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery MR scans). This articlereviews the research advance in mechanisms of Leukoaraiosis in five theories as hypoperfusion,brain-blood barrier dysfunction, endothelium, β-amyloid deposit and gene polymorphism .

Key words: Leukoaraiosis; Reperfusion injury; Blood-brain barrier; Endothelium; Amyloidbeta-protein; Polymorphism; single nucleotide

摘要： 脑白质疏松是一组影像学所描述的临床综合征，属于脑小血管病变的一个类型，颅脑计算机断层扫描（computer tomography，CT）表现为脑室周围或皮质下区弥漫性低密度影，在磁共振成像（magnetic resonance imaging，MRI）T2加权及液体衰减反转恢复序列（fluid-attenuated inversionrecovery，FLAIR）像上为弥漫性高信号。本文就低灌注损害、血脑屏障破坏、内皮损伤、β淀粉样物质沉积和基因多态性5种主要学说探讨脑白质疏松可能的发病机制。

关键词: 脑白质疏松症; 再灌注损伤; 血脑屏障; 内皮; 血管; 淀粉样β蛋白; 多态性; 单核苷酸