Highlights
- •We analysed 527 lesions in 119 MS patients.
- •A central vein sign (CVS) was present in the majority of infratentorial lesions (62/88, 70%).
- •Infratentorial lesions showed a CVS more often than juxtacortical lesions.
- •We found no difference in the frequencies of the CVS of infratentorial lesions compared to paraventricular or subcortical lesions.
- •Periventricular lesions showed a CVS more often than infratentorial lesions.
Abstract
Background
Recently there has been an increasing interest in the “central vein sign” (CVS) in
multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions. Infratentorial brain regions represent typical predilection
sites for MS lesion development and are part of the current McDonald criteria to demonstrate
dissemination in space, but only a few studies investigated the presence of the CVS
in infratentorial MS lesions. The aim of this study was to investigate the CVS in
infratentorial MS lesions.
Methods
3T MRI data sets from 119 patients with relapsing MS were analysed. Chronic lesions
were identified on T2-weighted images. Co-registered T2 / susceptibility-weighted
images (SWI) were analysed for the presence of the CVS.
Results
A total of 527 lesions were analysed. A CVS was present in the majority of infratentorial
lesions (62/88, 70%). There was no difference in the frequencies of the CVS of infratentorial
lesions compared to paraventricular lesions (67/81, 83%; p = 0.06) or subcortical (150/209; 72%; p = 0.82) lesions. Infratentorial lesions showed a CVS more often than juxtacortical
lesions (16/34; 47%; p = 0.02), while periventricular lesions showed a CVS more often than infratentorial
lesions (97/115; 84%, p = 0.02).
Conclusion
CVS is a frequent finding in infratentorial MS lesions that may increase the diagnostic
value in MS.
Keywords
Abbreviations:
CI (confidence interval), CVS (central vein sign), EDSS (Expanded Disability Status Scale), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), MS (multiple sclerosis), NAIMS (North American Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis Cooperative), OR (odd's ratio), SWI (susceptibility-weighted imaging)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 17, 2020
Accepted:
July 16,
2020
Received in revised form:
July 14,
2020
Received:
July 6,
2020
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
