Cerebrovascular Lesions in Patients with Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration: A Neuropathological Study

Background: Cerebrovascular lesions are frequently observed in Alzheimer brains. Not all of them are due to cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Some of them are related to the severity of the degenerative process itself, implying additional vascular factors in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s dementia. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of cerebrovascular pathology on brains with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Patients and Methods: Twentytwo brains with autopsy-proven FTLD were compared to 15 brains of age-matched patients without evident cognitive decline, who died from an illness not related to a brain disease. The prevalence and the severity of small ischaemic and haemorrhagic lesions were determined. Vascular risk factors and the use of antithrombotic agents were also recorded. Results: The patients with FTLD were heterogeneous concerning age of onset, disease duration, clinical presentation,