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.
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机译:常规磁共振成像(MRI)可以轻松检测出多发性硬化症(MS)。但是,不可能通过常规MRI来检测MS的早期或隐匿性病变,这可以解释MRI发现的病变严重程度与MS患者的临床残疾程度之间的矛盾。本研究包括10例复发缓解型MS患者和10例健康志愿者。每例患者均接受常规的3.0 T MRI,弥散张量成像(DTI)和弥散张量束测图(DTT)。通过DTI和DTT分析视神经和视辐射。测量分数各向异性(FA),平均扩散率(MD),λ//和λ┴值。在10例MS患者中,有7条视神经受到影响,而13条视神经没有受到影响。颅脑MRI显示2例MS患者出现视神经增厚和高强度。在定向编码的颜色图中,在3例MS患者中观察到视神经的绿色信号减弱。与对照组相比,MS患者的受影响和未受影响的视神经和视辐射中的FA值显着较低,MD,λ//和λ┴值显着较高(P <0.05)。 MS患者受影响和未受影响的视神经和视辐射之间的这些值没有显着差异(P> 0.05)。弥散张量成像对视神经炎后视神经的隐匿损伤和视辐射的检测很敏感。弥散张量成像可能是MS早期诊断,治疗和管理的有用工具。
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