This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.
ABSTRACT
Objective: Spinal cord (SC) lesions are frequently found in multiple sclerosis (MS), but are rare in healthy aging and cerebrovascular patients. Our aim was to analyze the contribution of SC involvement in clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) in diagnosing MS according the McDonald 2010 criteria and in predicting conversion to clinically definite MS (CDMS).
Methods: We prospectively followed monofocal, relapsing onset CIS patients with either SC or brain symptom onset (including optic neuritis). MRI of the brain and SC were performed shortly after onset and patients were followed for 24 to 119 months (median 64 months). SC MRI findings were assessed for their contribution to the McDonald 2010 diagnostic criteria and their effect on conversion to CDMS.
Results: One hundred twenty-one patients were included (63 spinal CIS). Based on the brain scan only, 36 patients fulfilled the McDonald criteria; by including SC findings, 6 additional patients fulfilled these criteria. To diagnose 1 additional nonspinal CIS patient, the number needed to scan is 7. In nonspinal CIS patients that did not fulfill McDonald brain MRI criteria (n = 42), presence of an SC lesion was associated with a higher risk of conversion to CDMS (odds ratio: 14.4; 95% confidence interval: 2.6–80.0) and shorter time to conversion to CDMS (hazard ratio: 51.4; 95% confidence interval: 5.5–476.3).
Conclusions: Presence of SC lesions facilitates diagnosing MS and is predictive for conversion to CDMS, especially in patients with nonspinal CIS who do not fulfill brain MRI criteria. We therefore recommend performing an SC scan in patients with nonspinal CIS who do not fulfill McDonald brain MRI criteria.
GLOSSARY
- CDMS=
- clinically definite multiple sclerosis;
- CI=
- confidence interval;
- CIS=
- clinically isolated syndrome;
- DIS=
- dissemination in space;
- DIT=
- dissemination in time;
- DMT=
- disease-modifying therapy;
- MS=
- multiple sclerosis;
- SC=
- spinal cord;
- TE=
- echo time;
- TR=
- repetition time
Footnotes
Go to Neurology.org for full disclosures. Funding information and disclosures deemed relevant by the authors, if any, are provided at the end of the article.
- Received May 3, 2012.
- Accepted August 13, 2012.
- © 2012 American Academy of Neurology
AAN Members
We have changed the login procedure to improve access between AAN.com and the Neurology journals. If you are experiencing issues, please log out of AAN.com and clear history and cookies. (For instructions by browser, please click the instruction pages below). After clearing, choose preferred Journal and select login for AAN Members. You will be redirected to a login page where you can log in with your AAN ID number and password. When you are returned to the Journal, your name should appear at the top right of the page.
AAN Non-Member Subscribers
Purchase access
Disputes & Debates: Rapid online correspondence
NOTE: All authors' disclosures must be entered and current in our database before comments can be posted. Enter and update disclosures at http://submit.neurology.org. Exception: replies to comments concerning an article you originally authored do not require updated disclosures.
- Stay timely. Submit only on articles published within 6 months of issue date.
- Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
- 200 words maximum.
- 5 references maximum. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
- 5 authors maximum. Exception: replies can include all original authors of the article.
- Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.