Cranial CT appearance of acute multiple sclerosis.
In acute multiple sclerosis, cranial computerized tomography (CT) may show periventricular and deep white matter contrast-enhanced lesions that are easier to see using 8 mm rather than 13 mm cranial CT sections. Follow-up studies show that the lesions evolve either to areas of density similar to the surrounding white matter or to low-density lesions. We presume they represent foci of active demyelination with extravasation of iodine through an altered blood-brain barrier. Enhanced cranial CT studies may be helpful in diagnosing acute multiple sclerosis and in following the course of the white matter lesions.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed