Cerebral lesions of multiple sclerosis: is gadolinium always irreplaceable in assessing lesion activity?

PURPOSEWe aimed to identify imaging characteristics on conventional magnetic resonance imaging that could predict multiple sclerosis (MS) brain lesion activity without contrast media administration. MATERIALS AND METHODSMagnetic resonance data sets of forty-two patients with relapsing-remitting MS w...

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Main Authors: Constantina Andrada Treaba, Rodica Balaşa, Daniela Maria Podeanu, Iunius Paul Simu, Mircea Marian Buruian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Galenos Publishing House 2014-03-01
Series:Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology
Online Access: http://www.dirjournal.org/archives/archive-detail/article-preview/cerebral-lesions-of-multiple-sclerosis-is-gadolini/56355
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author Constantina Andrada Treaba
Rodica Balaşa
Daniela Maria Podeanu
Iunius Paul Simu
Mircea Marian Buruian
author_facet Constantina Andrada Treaba
Rodica Balaşa
Daniela Maria Podeanu
Iunius Paul Simu
Mircea Marian Buruian
author_sort Constantina Andrada Treaba
collection DOAJ
description PURPOSEWe aimed to identify imaging characteristics on conventional magnetic resonance imaging that could predict multiple sclerosis (MS) brain lesion activity without contrast media administration. MATERIALS AND METHODSMagnetic resonance data sets of forty-two patients with relapsing-remitting MS who presented symptoms or signs suggestive of new disease activity were retrospectively reviewed. We classified the MS lesions into three types according to different patterns present on T2-weighted images and evaluated their relationship with the contrast uptake. Evolving aspects of each type of lesion were observed in 18 patients during a follow-up period ranging from nine to 36 months. RESULTSOn T2-weighted images, only the pattern consisting of a thin border of decreased intensity compared with the lesion’s center and perifocal edema (Type II) reached diagnostic accuracy in terms of its relationship with gadolinium enhancement (P = 0.006). The sensitivity was 0.461, and the specificity was 0.698. In contrast, enhancement was not significantly related to the pattern consisting of a lesion center that was homogeneously brighter than its periphery (Type I) or less-hyperintense T2 focal lesions with either homogeneous or inhomogeneous center (Type III) (P > 0.05 for both). CONCLUSIONThe assessment of MS lesion activity should include a careful evaluation of T2-weighted images in addition to contrast enhancement assessment. The presence of an accompanying peripheral thin rim of hypointensity on T2-weighted images related best with contrast enhancement and subsequent lesion activity and may represent an additional pattern for disease activity assessment when gadolinium examination is contraindicated or influenced by prior therapy.
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spelling doaj.art-2848c91fef884cd7b66183aced13b7782023-09-06T11:17:38ZengGalenos Publishing HouseDiagnostic and Interventional Radiology1305-38251305-36122014-03-0120217818410.5152/dir.2013.1331313049054Cerebral lesions of multiple sclerosis: is gadolinium always irreplaceable in assessing lesion activity?Constantina Andrada Treaba0Rodica Balaşa1Daniela Maria Podeanu2Iunius Paul Simu3Mircea Marian Buruian4 From the Departments of Radiology and Imaging Emergency County Clinical Hospital, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tîrgu Mureş, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania. From the Departments of Radiology and Imaging and Neurology Emergency County Clinical Hospital, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tîrgu Mureş, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania. From the Departments of Radiology and Imaging Emergency County Clinical Hospital, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tîrgu Mureş, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania. From the Departments of Radiology and Imaging Emergency County Clinical Hospital, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tîrgu Mureş, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania. From the Departments of Radiology and Imaging Emergency County Clinical Hospital, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tîrgu Mureş, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania. PURPOSEWe aimed to identify imaging characteristics on conventional magnetic resonance imaging that could predict multiple sclerosis (MS) brain lesion activity without contrast media administration. MATERIALS AND METHODSMagnetic resonance data sets of forty-two patients with relapsing-remitting MS who presented symptoms or signs suggestive of new disease activity were retrospectively reviewed. We classified the MS lesions into three types according to different patterns present on T2-weighted images and evaluated their relationship with the contrast uptake. Evolving aspects of each type of lesion were observed in 18 patients during a follow-up period ranging from nine to 36 months. RESULTSOn T2-weighted images, only the pattern consisting of a thin border of decreased intensity compared with the lesion’s center and perifocal edema (Type II) reached diagnostic accuracy in terms of its relationship with gadolinium enhancement (P = 0.006). The sensitivity was 0.461, and the specificity was 0.698. In contrast, enhancement was not significantly related to the pattern consisting of a lesion center that was homogeneously brighter than its periphery (Type I) or less-hyperintense T2 focal lesions with either homogeneous or inhomogeneous center (Type III) (P > 0.05 for both). CONCLUSIONThe assessment of MS lesion activity should include a careful evaluation of T2-weighted images in addition to contrast enhancement assessment. The presence of an accompanying peripheral thin rim of hypointensity on T2-weighted images related best with contrast enhancement and subsequent lesion activity and may represent an additional pattern for disease activity assessment when gadolinium examination is contraindicated or influenced by prior therapy. http://www.dirjournal.org/archives/archive-detail/article-preview/cerebral-lesions-of-multiple-sclerosis-is-gadolini/56355
spellingShingle Constantina Andrada Treaba
Rodica Balaşa
Daniela Maria Podeanu
Iunius Paul Simu
Mircea Marian Buruian
Cerebral lesions of multiple sclerosis: is gadolinium always irreplaceable in assessing lesion activity?
Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology
title Cerebral lesions of multiple sclerosis: is gadolinium always irreplaceable in assessing lesion activity?
title_full Cerebral lesions of multiple sclerosis: is gadolinium always irreplaceable in assessing lesion activity?
title_fullStr Cerebral lesions of multiple sclerosis: is gadolinium always irreplaceable in assessing lesion activity?
title_full_unstemmed Cerebral lesions of multiple sclerosis: is gadolinium always irreplaceable in assessing lesion activity?
title_short Cerebral lesions of multiple sclerosis: is gadolinium always irreplaceable in assessing lesion activity?
title_sort cerebral lesions of multiple sclerosis is gadolinium always irreplaceable in assessing lesion activity
url http://www.dirjournal.org/archives/archive-detail/article-preview/cerebral-lesions-of-multiple-sclerosis-is-gadolini/56355
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