Multiple Sclerosis Normal Cervical Spine Mri
Due predominantly to receiver coil design and intrinsic anatomy brain lesions in ms are easiest to identify followed by those in the cervical cord with the poorest imaged area being the thoracic spine.
Multiple sclerosis normal cervical spine mri. In multiple sclerosis ms by definition lesions are separated in space and time. Lesions are usually the most telling. Ms care team widespread use of mri magnetic resonance imaging has revolutionized the ability to diagnose multiple sclerosis. 1 s spinal ms is often associated with.
Spinal ms lesions often occur in the cervical region and less frequently in the lower thoracic spinal cord t7 12 depending on their age ms plaques appear normal or slightly hypointense on t1 weighted images and hyperintense on t2. Mri stands for magnetic resonance imaging mri can reveal telltale areas of damage called lesions or plaques on. The spinal cord may be enlarged when the disease is active and is atrophied when chronic. Observations on the presented cervical spine mr exam when combined with the previous exam confirm this diagnosis.
A type of imaging test called an mri scan is an important tool in diagnosing ms. Practice essentials magnetic resonance imaging mri was first used to visualize multiple sclerosis ms in the upper cervical spine in the late 1980s. Disease related changes in the brain or spinal cord are detected by. Multiple sclerosis ms is a relatively common acquired chronic relapsing demyelinating disease involving the central nervous system and is the second most common cause of neurological impairment in young adults after trauma 19 characteristically and by definition multiple sclerosis is disseminated not only in space i e.
In its classical form patients with devic s neuromyelitis optica have severe episodes of optic neuritis and transverse myelitis with variable recovery longitudinally extensive spinal cord mri lesions normal brain mri and a moderate to pronounced csf pleocytosis without oligoclonal bands. An mri result that says things are normal does not absolutely rule out multiple sclerosis.