[Value of magnetic resonance in the assessment of demyelinating diseases]

The degenerative diseases that primarily commit the myelin (white matter) are rare and varied affections. The diagnosis has different levels of difficulty. Some of them are bound to enzymatic disturbances of the myelin metabolism and its diagnosis is based upon enzymatic, leucocytic or urine measurements. In some it is not possible to measure the biochemical alteration, when the diagnosis shall be done clinically, particularly in those cases presenting megaloencephaly. The MRI proved to be very sensitive on the detection and diagnosis of the white matter diseases.