Magnetic resonance imaging and clinical correlations in multiple sclerosis

We examined the relationship between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cerebral findings and clinical evaluations in 66 patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS). MRI observations included total number and location of lesions visualized, degree of periventricular involvement, degree of degeneration of the corpus callosum, and extent of generalized parenchymal atrophy. Overall physical disability was evaluated by the Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and individual symptoms were rated according to the Kurtzke Functional Systems (FS) scale. Our results suggest that MRI brain abnormalities are significantly related to the overall severity of disease, but MRI is not particularly useful to predict the presence or absence of individual symptoms. These findings do suggest that the MRI may provide useful information to monitor clinical progression of patients with MS, but the lesions visualized need not always be symptomatic nor are we sure that all symptomatic lesions, particularly in the spinal cord and optic nerves, will be visualized.