title: Diffusion tensor imaging of occult injury of optic radiation following optic neuritis in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is easily detected by routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, it is not possible to detect early or occult lesions in MS by routine MRI, and this may explain the inconsistency between the severity of the lesions found by MRI and the degree of clinical disability of patients with MS. The present study included 10 patients with relapsing-remitting MS and 10 healthy volunteers. Each patient underwent routine 3.0 T MRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). Optic nerve and optic radiation were analyzed by DTI and DTT. The fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), λ//, and λ┴values were measured. In the 10 patients with MS, 7 optic nerves were affected, and 13 optic nerves were not affected. Cranial MRI showed that optic nerve thickening and hyperintensity occurred in 2 patients with MS. In the directionally encoded color maps, a hypointensive green signal in the optic nerve was observed in 3 patients with MS. The FA values were significantly lower and the MD, λ//, and λ┴values were significantly higher in the affected and unaffected optic nerves and optic radiations in patients with MS in comparison with controls (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in these values between the affected and unaffected optic nerves and optic radiation in patients with MS (P>0.05). Diffusion tensor imaging is sensitive in the detection of occult injury of the optic nerve and optic radiation following optic neuritis. Diffusion tensor imaging may be a useful tool for the early diagnosis, treatment and management of MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Centre, The First Teaching Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jiafeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Third Teaching Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Lijun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Centre, The First Teaching Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, P.R. China.
authors.forename: He
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Centre, The First Teaching Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ziwen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Centre, The First Teaching Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Centre, The First Teaching Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shaokuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fang
keywords: diffusion tensor imaging; diffusion tensor tractography; multiple sclerosis; optic nerve; optic radiation