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Differences between relapsing-remitting and chronic progressive multiple sclerosis as determined with quantitative MR

Y Miki1, R I Grossman, J K Udupa

  • 1Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia 19104-4283, USA.

Radiology
|April 20, 1999
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Quantitative brain MRI measurements show different relationships in relapsing-remitting versus chronic progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). These findings highlight distinct disease progression patterns in MS subtypes.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimaging
  • Neurology
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease.
  • Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and chronic progressive MS (CPMS) represent distinct disease courses.
  • Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) offers insights into brain changes in MS.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate cross-sectional relationships among quantitative brain MRI metrics.
  • To compare these relationships between RRMS and CPMS patients.

Main Methods:

  • Thirty-eight MS patients (26 RRMS, 12 CPMS) underwent MRI.
  • Calculated metrics included T2 lesion volume, enhancing lesion volume, brain parenchymal volume fraction, and magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) histogram peak height.
  • Analyzed cross-sectional correlations between these quantitative MRI measures.

Main Results:

  • Significant negative correlation between T2 lesion volume and MTR histogram peak height in both RRMS and CPMS groups.
  • Positive correlation between T2 lesion volume and enhancing lesion volume observed in RRMS, but not CPMS.
  • Negative correlations found between enhancing lesion volume and MTR peak height, and between Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score and MTR peak height/brain parenchymal volume fraction in RRMS, but not CPMS.

Conclusions:

  • The relationships among quantitative brain MRI measurements differ significantly between RRMS and CPMS.
  • These distinct imaging-biomarker relationships may reflect different underlying pathological processes or disease progression mechanisms in MS subtypes.

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