White Matter Disease-The True Source of Triphasic Waves?

SUMMARY: Triphasic waves are EEG phenomena typically seen in patients with acute encephalopathy and have importance in diagnosis and prognosis in these cases. The underlying metabolic disturbances associated with their incidence have been described previously, but neuroimaging characteristics are not well delineated. There are a few small studies that define neuroimaging results in patients with triphasic waves. This review highlights the most common neuroimaging findings in these patients, including subcortical white matter disease, which itself may be a risk factor for triphasic waves.