Cerebral arteriopathy, autosomal recessive, with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy

A cerebrovascular disease characterized by non-hypertensive arteriopathy of cerebral small vessels with subcortical infarcts, alopecia, and spondylosis. Small cerebral arteries show arteriosclerotic changes, fibrous intimal proliferation, and hyaline degeneration with splitting of the intima and/or the internal elastic membrane. Neurologic features include progressive dementia, gait disturbances, extrapyramidal and pyramidal signs, and demyelination of the cerebral white matter with sparing of U fibers.