title: Positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and proton NMR spectroscopy of white matter in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess characteristics of MS lesions and normal appearing white matter (NAWM) with various imaging modalities. Glucose metabolism was investigated with FDG-PET, metabolite concentration with proton NMR spectroscopy, and lesion detection with routine brain MRI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen patients were studied in a stable phase of their disease, and two during an acute episode. Nine healthy volunteers served as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three patients had a normal brain MRI, 12 had typical lesions. MR images were registered to the PET planes. Lesions and contra-lateral control areas were analyzed, 10/15 lesions showed relative hyper-metabolism and 2 hypo-metabolism. NAA concentration was significantly decreased in both lesions and NAWM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In stable MS, most large lesions have a relatively increased glucose utilization and decreased NAA concentration. NAWM showed a significantly decreased NAA concentration compared to healthy subjects, but no difference in glucose metabolism. Active lesions in acute MS are also hyper-metabolic. This finding opens a new window on the classification of white matter lesions based on glucose utilization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schiepers
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Hecke
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vandenberghe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Oostende
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dupont
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Demaerel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bormans
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Carton
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D011859:Radiography; D012016:Reference Values; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D005947:Glucose