title: Evaluation of white matter in patients with multiple sclerosis through diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the white matter of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with diffusion tensor magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (DTI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients with clinical-laboratorial diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS and 40 age- and sex-matched controls, who underwent conventional and functional (DTI) MR imaging, were included in the study. The DTI sequences resulted in maps of fractional anisotropy (FA) and regions of interest were placed on the plaques, peri-plaque regions, normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) around the plaques, contralateral normal white matter (CNWM) and normal white matter of the controls (WMC). The FA values were compared and the statistical treatment was performed with the Mann-Whitney U test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean FA in plaques was 0.268, in peri-plaque regions 0.365, in NAWM 0.509, in CNWM 0.552 and in WMC 0.573. Statistical significant differences in FA values were observed in plaques, peri-plaque regions and in NAWM around the plaques when compared to the white matter in the control group. There was no significant difference between the FA values of the CNWM of patients with MS and normal white matter of controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with MS show difference in the FA values of the plaques, peri-plaques and NAWM around the plaques when compared to the normal white matter of controls. As a result, DTI may be considered more efficient than conventional MR imaging for the study of patients with MS.
authors: Department of Radiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Rachel E Maia de
authors: RE
authors: Andrade
authors: Emerson L
authors: EL
authors: Gasparetto
authors: Luiz Celso Hygino
authors: LC
authors: Cruz
authors: Fabiana Brito
authors: FB
authors: Ferreira
authors: Roberto Cortês
authors: RC
authors: Domingues
authors: Edson
authors: E
authors: Marchiori
authors: Romeu Cortês
authors: RC
authors: Domingues
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric