title: Transcranial sonography of subcortical structures in patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transcranial sonography may be applied to assess the basal ganglia nuclei and brain atrophy by the measurement of the width of the third ventricle. The aim of this study was to assess usefulness of transcranial sonography (TCS) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) by examining the echogenicity of subcortical structures and the width of the third ventricle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Transcranial sonography evaluation of substantia nigra, brain stem raphe nuclei, diameter of the third ventricle, width of the anterior horn of the lateral ventricle, thalamus, lenticular nucleus, and head of the caudate nucleus in 41 patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), 23 with secondary progressive MS (SPMS), and 20 healthy controls was compared. A potential link between the patients' age, sex, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, relapse index, and ultrasound parameters was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The following were found in patients with MS, as compared to the control group: a greater area of the substantia nigra, a longer diameter of the third ventricle and wider frontal horns of the lateral ventricles, hypo-echogenicity of the brain stem raphe, and hyperechogenicity of the lenticular nucleus. The study group was found to have a significant correlation between the area of the substantia nigra, and the age of patients, the duration of the illness, EDSS score, and the number of relapses. There was a significant correlation between the diameter of the third ventricle and the age of patients and EDSS score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with MS reveal ultrasound features of subcortical structure atrophy. Selected TCS findings show a correlation with disease progression and activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Clinical Hospital No 7, Medical University of Silesia, Professor Leszek Giec Upper Silesian Medical Centre, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Puz
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Clinical Hospital No 7, Medical University of Silesia, Professor Leszek Giec Upper Silesian Medical Centre, Katowice, Poland.|High School of Science, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lasek-Bal
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Clinical Hospital No 7, Medical University of Silesia, Professor Leszek Giec Upper Silesian Medical Centre, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Radecka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013788:Thalamus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial / Q000379:methods*
keywords: brain atrophy; multiple sclerosis; neurodegeneration; subcortical nuclei; third ventricle; transcranial sonography