Fazekas Scale for White Matter Hyperintensities
The Fazekas scale is a simple visual rating of white matter hyperintensities on brain MRI, grading periventricular and deep white matter changes separately from 0 to 3. It is the shorthand radiologists reach for when reporting the burden of small-vessel disease in aging, hypertension, and cognitive decline. Its value is standardization and reproducibility across readers rather than precise volume — enough to convey “how much” white matter change is present in a line of a report.
Introduced the 0–3 visual rating of periventricular and deep white-matter hyperintensities (AJR 1987), giving small-vessel-disease burden a reproducible shorthand.
A novel brain MRI finding often described as "dirty" white matter in older adults shows no significant association with increased dementia risk, according to a new study. Researchers found this common appearance, distinct from typical white-matter hyperintensities, is largely be…
Structured MRI review of atrophy patterns aids differential diagnosis of common dementias, including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, and vascular cognitive impairment. Specific regional scores and visual rating scales are presented for clinical use.
RadPigeon is an independent radiology news digest and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Fazekas et al.. “Fazekas scale” is a trademark of its owner and is named here only to refer to the system. Always consult the official source for the exact, current criteria.
