Hypothalamic lesions in multiple sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the frequency of hypothalamic lesions in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) using conventional MRI (cMRI) protocols.


METHODS
Brain cMRI (1.5 Tesla) scans of 105 Caucasian patients with classical MS (50 with stable and 55 with more active disease) and 12 patients with longitudinal extensive myelopathy (LEM) were reviewed retrospectively. NMO-IgG antibody was assayed in patients with hypothalamic lesions.


RESULTS
Hypothalamic lesions were found in 13.3% of MS patients and in none of the LEM patients. A higher frequency of hypothalamic lesions was found in patients with active MS (18.2%) than in the stable group (8.0%), but this did not reach statistical significance (p=0.13). Patients with hypothalamic lesions also had more lesions in other cerebral structures. None of the LEM patients had hypothalamic lesions. No patients with hypothalamic lesions were positive for NMO-IgG.


CONCLUSIONS
Hypothalamic lesions in MS are more frequent than previously reported and are not associated with NMO-IgG antibody.
Qiu
Wei
W
Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Raven
Sonja
S
Wu
Jing-Shan
JS
Bundell
Christine
C
Hollingsworth
Peter
P
Carroll
William M
WM
Mastaglia
Frank L
FL
Kermode
Allan G
AG
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007027:Hypothalamic Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000473:pathology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D020542:Third Ventricle / Q000473:pathology
D007074:Immunoglobulin G