Multiple Sclerosis, August
2001, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 221-226(6)
Pathologically defined abnormalities
in the cortical gray matter (GM) are well described in multiple sclerosis
(MS) but are infrequently seen by conventional magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI).
We systematically evaluated 52 relapsing
– remitting MS patients and 20 normal volunteers with high resolution MRI
and short echo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI).
Individual tissue contributions to
the spectroscopic voxels were estimated based on MRI that incorporated
both CSF suppression and magnetization transfer, or double inversion images
in which both CSF and GM were suppressed.
Strong resonances in the 0.8 to 1.5
p.p.m. spectral region were observed in 13 MS patients.
Image segmentation based on the MRI
characteristics of tissues contributing to the spectroscopic voxels showed
that these additional peaks originated mainly from GM.
The presence of these additional
peaks suggests that the normal appearance GM on MRI, is biochemically abnormal
in a substantial proportion of relapsing – remitting MS patients.
Sharma R. [1]; Narayana P.A. [1]
*; Wolinsky J.S. [2]
[1] Department of Radiology, University
of Texas at Houston Medical School, 6431 Fannin, Houston, Texas 77030,
USA [2] Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Houston Medical
School, 6431 Fannin, Houston, Texas 77030, USA [*] Correspondence: PA Narayana
Abstract: