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Multiple sclerosis: the impact of MR imaging
C J Wallace1, T P Seland, T C Fong
1Department of Radiological Sciences and Diagnostic Imaging, Foothills Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
AJR. American Journal of Roentgenology
|April 1, 1992
Summary
Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging is crucial for diagnosing and understanding multiple sclerosis (MS). This technology aids in lesion detection, monitoring disease progression, and evaluating treatment effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis and understanding have been significantly advanced by Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging.
- MR imaging is now integral to the initial diagnostic workup for MS, often confirming clinically suspected lesion locations and replacing other tests.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the impact and evolving role of MR imaging in the diagnosis, understanding of natural history, and therapeutic assessment of multiple sclerosis.
- To underscore the sensitivity of MR imaging to MS-related inflammation and demyelination.
Main Methods:
- Review and synthesis of the established and emerging applications of MR imaging in multiple sclerosis.
- Discussion of the diagnostic criteria and challenges associated with interpreting MR findings in MS.
Main Results:
- MR imaging facilitates objective assessment of disease load, detects asymptomatic lesions, and differentiates between acute and chronic MS lesions.
- Despite a broad differential diagnosis for some findings, experience has refined relatively specific MR criteria for MS diagnosis.
Conclusions:
- MR imaging is indispensable for multiple sclerosis diagnosis, natural history assessment, and monitoring.
- Advancements in MR imaging promise faster scans and objective lesion quantification, crucial for future clinical trials in multiple sclerosis.