Abstract
AIM: To determine the frequency and topographic distribution of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) in comparison to CMBs in Alzheimer disease dementia (AD). METHODS: Consecutive probable DLB (n = 23) patients who underwent 3-T T2* weighted gradient-recalled-echo MRI, and age and gender matched probable Alzheimer's disease patients (n = 46) were compared for the frequency and location of CMBs. RESULTS: The frequency of one or more CMBs was similar among patients with DLB (30%) and AD (24%). Highest densities of CMBs were found in the occipital lobes of patients with both DLB and AD. Patients with AD had greater densities of CMBs in the parietal, temporal lobes and infratentorial regions compared to DLB (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: CMBs are as common in patients with DLB as in patients with AD, with highest densities observed in the occipital lobes, suggesting common pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying CMBs in both diseases.