Computerized tomography in the diagnostic evaluation of multiple sclerosis.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease affecting the central nervous system.
• Accurate diagnosis and monitoring of MS progression are crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of cranial computerized tomography (CT) in diagnosing and assessing the severity of multiple sclerosis (MS).
• To correlate CT findings with clinical manifestations and disease duration in MS patients.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-six patients with suspected or confirmed multiple sclerosis (MS) underwent cranial computerized tomography (CT) scans.
• CT findings were analyzed for abnormalities such as white matter density changes, ventricular enlargement, atrophy, and contrast enhancement.
• Clinical data, including neurological signs and disease duration, were correlated with CT results.

Main Results:

• Abnormalities were detected in 19 (29%) of the 66 patients.
• White matter lucencies and ventricular dilatation correlated with increased hyperreflexia and mental impairment.
• Contrast-enhancing lesions were observed in clinically stable patients, suggesting acute asymptomatic plaques.
• CT abnormalities were more frequent in older patients with longer disease duration and more definite MS diagnoses.

Conclusions:

• Cranial CT can reveal abnormalities in a significant portion of MS patients, correlating with clinical signs of disease severity.
• The presence of contrast-enhancing lesions may indicate active, yet asymptomatic, disease.
• CT findings are less pronounced in early or less definite stages of MS, limiting its role as a primary diagnostic tool in these cases.