LONDON—Evaluation of cortical lesions improves the specificity of the diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis (MS), according to research presented at the 32nd Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in MS (ECTRIMS). Assessment of cortical lesions, in concert with current McDonald criteria, also preserved a high level of diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy in a multicentric cohort of patients with clinically isolated syndrome, reported Paolo Preziosa, MD, Neuroimaging Research Unit at the Institute of Experimental Neurology and Division of Neuroscience at San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy, and his research colleagues.
Paolo Preziosa, MD
Since the publication of the 2010 revised McDonald criteria, new data regarding the application of MRI for the diagnosis of MS have become available. In a single-center study, adding the assessment of cortical lesions was shown to modify the diagnostic algorithm, resulting in higher specificity.
In the present study, Dr. Preziosa and colleagues sought to test the performance of different sets of imaging criteria, including the assessment of cortical lesions, for the development of MS in a multicentric cohort of patients with clinically isolated syndrome.
The researchers analyzed brain double inversion recovery and brain and cord T2-weighted and post-contrast T1-weighted sequences acquired from 72 patients with clinically isolated syndrome from five European centers (Barcelona, Belgrade, Mainz, Milan, and Verona) within three months and after 12 months from disease onset. Patients were followed clinically for 24 or more months or until the development of clinically defined MS. Median follow-up was 24.2 months. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the different dissemination in space MRI criteria for the development of MS were tested.
At follow-up, 65 patients (90%) had clinically and/or radiologically definite MS. The sensitivity of all criteria was high (McDonald 2005, 83%; McDonald 2010, 92%; Filippi 2010, 80%). Specificity of Filippi 2010 was higher (67%), compared with the others (50% for McDonald 2005 and 2010). The accuracy of all criteria was high (McDonald 2005, 81%; McDonald 2010, 89%; Filippi 2010, 79%).
“The detection of cortical lesions in vivo using MRI should be considered in future clinical trials,” Dr. Preziosa said.
—Glenn S. Williams
Suggested Reading
Filippi M, Rocca MA, Calabrese M, et al. Intracortical lesions: relevance for new MRI diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis. Neurology. 2010;75(22):1988-1994.