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Spinal cord lesions in children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis – Magnetic resonance imaging
Affiliations- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Children's Health Memorial Institute, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, The Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland
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Abstract
The purpose of our study was to determine the prevalence of spinal cord lesions revealed by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in children and adolescents with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS).
Material and methodsWe retrospectively evaluated the spinal cord magnetic resonance examinations in a group of MS patients consisting of 58 children (37 girls and 21 boys) aged from 7 to 17.8 years (mean 13.7 years). All children met the criteria of clinically definite MS and had typical MS lesions revealed in the brain imaging.
ResultsSpinal cord lesions, regardless of localization, were identified in 36 (62%) patients. In 22 of 58 patients (38%) no lesions were observed. The plaques were found in the cervical spinal cord and the thoracic spinal cord in 30 out of 36 (86.1%) and in 31 out of 36 (88.6%) patients, respectively. Contrast enhancement was noticed in 10 out of 36 patients (27.7%) and was not correlated with the number of lesions present.
We noticed a tendency to higher EDSS score in patients with lesions in more than 1 spinal cord region.
Our study showed that spinal cord lesions are more frequently present in patients with complex neurological disability.
ConclusionThe prevalence of spinal cord lesions in children and adolescents with MS is high. Therefore, spinal cord MRI should be included in diagnostic program of MS.
Abstract
The purpose of our study was to determine the prevalence of spinal cord lesions revealed by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in children and adolescents with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS).
Material and methodsWe retrospectively evaluated the spinal cord magnetic resonance examinations in a group of MS patients consisting of 58 children (37 girls and 21 boys) aged from 7 to 17.8 years (mean 13.7 years). All children met the criteria of clinically definite MS and had typical MS lesions revealed in the brain imaging.
ResultsSpinal cord lesions, regardless of localization, were identified in 36 (62%) patients. In 22 of 58 patients (38%) no lesions were observed. The plaques were found in the cervical spinal cord and the thoracic spinal cord in 30 out of 36 (86.1%) and in 31 out of 36 (88.6%) patients, respectively. Contrast enhancement was noticed in 10 out of 36 patients (27.7%) and was not correlated with the number of lesions present.
We noticed a tendency to higher EDSS score in patients with lesions in more than 1 spinal cord region.
Our study showed that spinal cord lesions are more frequently present in patients with complex neurological disability.
ConclusionThe prevalence of spinal cord lesions in children and adolescents with MS is high. Therefore, spinal cord MRI should be included in diagnostic program of MS.
Keywords
Multiple sclerosis, Children, Adolescents, Spinal cord, Magnetic resonance imaging
About this articleTitle
Spinal cord lesions in children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis – Magnetic resonance imaging
Journal
Neurologia i Neurochirurgia Polska
Issue
Pages
77-81
Page views
364
Article views/downloads
359
DOI
10.1016/j.pjnns.2016.11.008
Bibliographic record
Neurol Neurochir Pol 2017;51(1):77-81.
Keywords
Multiple sclerosis
Children
Adolescents
Spinal cord
Magnetic resonance imaging
Authors
Joanna Dębska
Katarzyna Kotulska-Józwiak
Piotr Pawliszak
Małgorzata Bilska
Dariusz Chmielewski
Iwona Puzio
Elżbieta Jurkiewicz
