Ìaria Gavra MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Konstantinos Voumvourakis, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Athanasios Dimitrios Gouliamos MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Panagiota Davaki, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Lambros J. Vlahos MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To evaluate the relationship between total load of T1 hypointense lesions and their magnetization transfer ratios and their correlation with disability status, in patients with multiple sclerosis(MS).

Fourty-five MS patients with a wide spectrum of disability were enrolled in the study and underwent MR imaging of the brain using a 1,5 T imager. Patients’disability was estimated by the EDSS scale. All patients had not received any immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive treatment for at least 6 months prior to the entry to the study. Total hypointense lesion load quantification was performed using an axial pre-contrast T1-weighted spin echo sequence (TR=560, TE=14) with manual outlining and semi-automated contouring techniques. For the measurement of lesion magnetization transfer ratio(MTR),an axial proton density-weighted sequence with and without application of a magnetization transfer pre-pulse (TR=600, TE=6,9)was used. Each examination was evaluated by two neuroradiologists who were blinded to the neurological status of the patients. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used for the correlation between the two MR variables and disability.

Severely disabled MS patients had significantly higher hypointense T1 lesion load (r=0.794, p < 0,0001), and significantly lower average lesion MTR (r = -0.720, p < 0,0001) than mildly disabled patients. A strong inverse correlation was found between each patient’s T1 lesion load and mean MTR (r = -0.784, p < 0,0001). It is known from post mortem studies that hypointense T1 lesions and low MTR values have been correlated with severe demyelination and axonal loss, which are likely to be the pathological substrates of irreversible disability in MS patients.

Our results in accordance with other studies(1,2) suggest that T1 hypointense lesion load and MTR correlate significantly with disability and could be used as a valuable tool for assessing MS disability progression in clinical trials. 1.Tourbah A et al in Neuroradiology (2001;43:712–720)2.Grimaud J et al in J Neurol (1999; 246: 961-967)

Gavra, Ì, Voumvourakis, K, Gouliamos, A, Davaki, P, Vlahos, L, Correlation of MRI Parameters and Disability Status in Multiple Sclerosis Patients.  Radiological Society of North America 2004 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 28 - December 3, 2004 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2004/4416314.html