Hippocampal brain atrophy after carbon monoxide intoxication

Introduction: Carbon monoxide (CO) can severely damage the brain as a result of both tissue hypoxia and directly toxic effects. Consequently, brain regions highly susceptible to tissue hypoxia such as the hippocampal formation and regions with high iron-content (globus pallidum, substantia nigra) are most often affected. Clinical symptoms range from initial unconsciousness to coma, usually followed by severe neuropsychological deficits. Earlier MR-studies suggest long-term atrophy in different white matter structures following CO-exposure with no correlation to cognitive sequelae. The early detection of brain at…