Ring-enchancement in multiple sclerosis: marker of disease severity.
Correlations between conventional MRI measures of disease activity and clinical disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) have been disappointing. Because ring-enhancing lesions may reflect a more destructive pathology, we tested their potential association with disease severity. We evaluated active lesions with regard to their enhancement pattern on serial magnetic resonance images in a cohort of 28 patients with relapsing-remitting MS. The percentage of ring-enhancing lesions correlated with EDSS, T2 lesion load and duration of disease and predicted the occurrence of relapses during the baseline period of observation as well as after 3 years of follow-up in multiple logistic regression analysis. The findings suggest that the pathological process reflected by ring-enhancing lesions may contribute to more severe clinical disease.
Morgen
K
K
Neuroimmunology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
Jeffries
N O
NO
Stone
R
R
Martin
R
R
Richert
N D
ND
Frank
J A
JA
McFarland
H F
HF
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000473:pathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index