title: Imaging the optic nerve in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Although multiple sclerosis (MS) frequently involves the optic nerves, imaging this structure is not yet performed routinely in clinical practice. The recent improvement of magnetic resonance (MR) technology and the development of new MR strategies, capable of providing an, in vivo, overall assessment of MS pathology has allowed objective metrics to be obtained for monitoring disease evolution, essentially in the brain. However, despite this progress, the correlation between brain MR metrics of the disease and clinical disability are still disappointing. An objective and accurate estimate of the presence and extent of optic nerve involvement might help to overcome this clinical/MRI paradox. This review summarizes the main results obtained from the application of conventional and modern MR-based techniques for the evaluation of optic nerve damage in MS.
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Research Unit, Scientific Institute and University Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rocca
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hickman
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bö
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Agosta
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Comi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filippi
mesh_terms: D001284:Atrophy; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000473:pathology*; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000473:pathology*