Computer tomography of the cerebrum in multiple sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease.
• Periventricular lesions are a hallmark of MS.
• Computer tomography (CT) is a key imaging modality for brain assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of periventricular plaques in MS patients using CT.
• To correlate the presence of plaques with other brain abnormalities.

Main Methods:

• 110 multiple sclerosis patients underwent brain CT scans using a 160x160 matrix EMI scanner.
• Analysis focused on identifying low X-ray attenuation areas around the ventricular system.
• Measurements included plaque volume and attenuation values.

Main Results:

• 36% of patients (40/110) showed 82 low attenuation areas, interpreted as periventricular plaques.
• Mean plaque volume was 1.26 cm³, with attenuation 5 EMI units lower than surrounding tissue.
• Plaques were associated with ventricular enlargement and cortical atrophy; 45% had atrophy without plaques, and 18% had normal scans.

Conclusions:

• CT can detect periventricular plaques in a significant portion of MS patients.
• The presence of these plaques correlates with brain atrophy and ventricular enlargement in MS.
• Imaging findings suggest widespread neuropathology even in cases without clearly defined plaques.