title: Diffusion of water in large demyelinating lesions: a follow-up study.
abstract: We studied five patients with multiple sclerosis with one plaque of demyelination more than 2 cm in diameter, using conventional and diffusion-weighted MRI, soon after the onset of symptoms and over 1-36 months. The orientationally averaged diffusion coefficient <D> was increased in all the acute lesions, and increased further during follow-up in three. There was a strong correlation between <D> and the degree of low signal on T1-weighted images. The quantitative information provided by <D> allowed delineation of different diffusion patterns in large MS lesions, that may reflect heterogeneity of the anatomical substrate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy. scanderbeg@hsantalucia.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castriota-Scanderbeg
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sabatini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fasano
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Floris
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fraracci
authors.forename: M Di
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mario
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nocentini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caltagirone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology*