ISSN:
1352-8661
Keywords:
multiple sclerosis
;
MRI
;
image analysis
;
lesion volume
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
,
Physics
Notes:
Abstract We have carried out a comparative cross-sectional study of patients with relapsing and remitting MS (multiple sclerosis) (RRMS) (n=9), primary progressive MS (PPMS) (n=7), and secondary progressive MS (SPMS) (n=10) using image analysis techniques to determine the number and volume of Gd-DTPA-enhancing lesions. RRMS patients had more lesions than either PPMS or SPMS (ns), and the mean volume of the lesions (p=0.006) and the total volume of enhancing lesions (p〈0.03) were significantly larger in patients with RRMS compared with PPMS. The prevalence of blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown appears to be similar in PPMS and SPMS, with the higher rate in RRMS suggesting a suppressive effect of disease duration (and/or age). Similarly, the volume of the lesion load overall was negatively correlated with disease duration (p −0.56,p〈0.003). Differences between PPMS and RRMS/SPMS patients in the volume of the enhancing lesions may reflect differences in the ability of these patients to suppress the immune-mediated damage to axons which may follow episodic BBB breakdown and which is not visualized on conventional magnetic resonance imaging.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01705262
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