leukoencephalopathy /lo̅o̅′kō·ən·sef′əlop′əthē/ [Gk, leukos, white + enkephalos, brain + pathos, disease] , any of a group of diseases affecting the white matter of the brain, especially of the cerebral hemispheres, occurring as a rule in infants and children. The term leukodystrophy is used to denote such disorders resulting from a defect in the formation and the maintenance of myelin in infants and children.
