Evidence for relative cortical sparing in benign multiple sclerosis: a longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study

作者：Massimiliano Calabrese, Massimo Filippi, Marco Rovaris, Valentina Bernardi, Manfredo Atzori, Irene Mattisi, A. G. Favaretto, Paola Grossi, Luigi Barachino, Laura Rinaldi, Chiara Romualdi, Pietro de Perini, Paolo Gallo · 发表于：Multiple Sclerosis Journal · 年份：2008 · DOI：10.1177/1352458508096686 · 被引用次数：88 · 研究领域：Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies、Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications、Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications

BACKGROUND: Using double inversion recovery (DIR) MRI, cortical lesions can be seen in the brain of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The burden of such lesions seems to be well correlated with the severity of MS-related disability. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the extent of cortical damage in patients with benign MS (BMS) might contribute to explain their favorable clinical status. METHODS: Forty-eight patients with BMS (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score < or =3.0 and disease duration > or =15 years) and 96 patients with non-disabling, early relapsing-remitting (RR) MS (EDSS score < or =3.0 and disease duration < or =5 years) were studied. Brain MRI, including a DIR and a fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence, was acquired at baseline and after 12 months. On DIR images, intracortical (ICL) and cortical-subcortical lesions (CSL) were identified and their number and volume calculated. Total white matter (WM) lesion volume was quantified on FLAIR images. RESULTS: Compared with early RRMS, patients with BMS had lower number of ICL at both study time points (P < or = 0.001 for both comparisons). At one-year follow-up, a significant increase of ICL and CSL number and total volume was observed only in early patients with RRMS. The number and volume of cortical lesions was not correlated with WM lesion volume. Total ICL number at baseline, total cortical lesion volume at baseline, and total cortical lesion volume change were independent predictor...