title: Asymmetries in the spatial distributions of enhancing lesions and black holes in relapsing-remitting MS.
abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most important paraclinical test in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and for delineating its natural history. We investigate MRIs from a longitudinal study of 24 relapsing-remitting MS patients who had monthly MRI examinations for one year, and were not receiving active MS therapy during this period. We hypothesized that lesions occur randomly throughout the brain, and that patients are homogeneous with regard to spatial patterns of lesion presentation. We recorded the numbers and locations of enhancing lesions and hypointense lesions (black holes) in all scans, and found asymmetrical patterns of lesions about the mid-transaxial, mid-coronal, and mid-sagittal planes. Furthermore, in distinct subsets of patients, enhancing lesions and black holes tend to occur in the same locations. Clustering in lesion locations may be of functional significance, with consequent therapeutic implications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. koziol@scripps.edu
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Koziol
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Sobel
authors.forename: Anne C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Adams
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D017338:Cladribine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D011859:Radiography
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D017338:Cladribine