Jing Huang, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Yaou Liu MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yunyun Duan, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Zhuoqiong Ren, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Kuncheng Li MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To assess the diffusion changes in normal-appearing spinal cord (NASC) in patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and multiple sclerosis (MS)．

Axial DTI of the cervical spinal cord was performed in 14 patients with NMO, 14 patients with MS and 14 sex- and age-matched normal controls. Fractional anisotropy (FA) , mean diffusivity(MD), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD) were measured in regions of interest (ROIs) at the C2-C5 levels in four columns of the spinal cord. Student’s t-test were used for the comparison of DTI parameters.

Compared with normal controls, the values of MD were increased and FA were decreased for both MS and NMO groups, there were significant differences among them. Compared with MS groups, FA in patients with NMO was significantly decreased in the lateral, posterior columns, AD and MD in the lateral and posterior columns was significantly increased.

There are extensive NASC damage in both NMO and MS patients, including white matter areas of the cervical spinal cord, mainly caused by demyelination. This suggests the different spinal cord lesion pattern in NMO and MS.

This study suggests the different spinal cord lesion pattern in NMO and MS, it helps the early diagnosis and differential diagnosis between NMO and MS.

Huang, J, Liu, Y, Duan, Y, Ren, Z, Li, K, A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Comparative Study of the Cervical Spinal Cord in Neuromyelitis Optica and Multiple Sclerosis.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14045737.html