Fernanda Cristina Rueda Lopes MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Emerson L. Gasparetto MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Soniza Alves-Leon PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Fernanda Miraldi, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Joao Victor Altamiro, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Paulo Roberto Valle Bahia, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Meng Law MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Romeu Cortes Domingues MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

The aim of this study is to evaluate Normal Appearing Spinal Cord (NASC) damage pattern in NMO in different regions of the cervical spinal cord using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

We studied 8 patients with NMO (7 female and 1 male, mean age 47.6 years-old), 30 MS patients (17 female and 13 male, mean age 42.2 years-old) and 12 healthy volunteers (9 female and 3 male, mean age 37.4 years-old) without any known spinal disease or neurologic disorder. MR imaging of the cervical spinal cord was conducted on a 1.5 MR scanner (Siemens, Avanto), including STIR and DTI. Fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), radial diffusivity (RD) and mean diffusivity (MD) were calculated within regions of interest (ROIs) in the C2 and C7 levels. The ROI’s were drawn in the anterior, posterior and lateral columms of the spinal cord. The ROI value was excluded if a lesion was detected on STIR. A p-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

FA value was significantly lower in NMO patients at the anterior (p=0.01) and posterior (p=0.04) columns at C2 level compared to controls. RD value was significantly higher in NMO patients (p=0.008) compared to controls, at the anterior column at C2 level. At the right column at C7 level, FA was lower in NMO patients (p=0.05) and MD higher (p=0.02) in relation to controls. Beyond that, the FA value was significantly lower in NMO than in MS population (p=0.01) in the anterior column.

FA is a hallmark for NASC damage in NMO patients, highlighting peripheral spinal cord lesions in such group. This may be used as a future tool for NMO and MS differentiation.

Extensive cervical spinal cord damage is diagnostic for neuromyelitis optica (NMO), but the normal appearing spinal cord (NASC) damage is not well understood.

Lopes, F, Gasparetto, E, Alves-Leon, S, Miraldi, F, Altamiro, J, Valle Bahia, P, Law, M, Domingues, R, Diffusion Tensor Imaging of the Cervical Spinal Cord in Neuromyelitis Optica Patients: A Comparative Study with Multiple Sclerosis.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11006325.html