A brain MRI study of different types of chronic-progressive multiple sclerosis

This study was performed to define the pattern of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities in chronic-progressive MS (MS).

Brain MRIs were obtained for 17 patients with secondary progressive MS (SPMS), 14 with primary progressive MS (PPMS) and 5 with "transitional" progressive MS (TPMS).

Total lesion loads were different for the three groups of patients (p < 0.01). At post-hoc analysis, there was no difference between patients with TPMS and those with PPMS, while both these groups had lesion loads lower than those of patients with SPMS. Patients with PPMS with clinical signs indicating involvement of both brain and spinal cord had greater total lesion loads than those with clinical isolated spinal cord involvement (p < 0.05).

These data indicate that brain MRI patterns of abnormalities are related to the clinical manifestations in patients with chronic-progressive MS.