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Computerized tomography in the diagnostic evaluation of multiple sclerosis
Author(s) -
Hershey Linda A.,
Gado Mokhtar H.,
Trotter John L.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410050106
Subject(s) - medicine , multiple sclerosis , asymptomatic , hyperreflexia , white matter , atrophy , radiology , tomography , computed tomography , magnetic resonance imaging , pathology , surgery , psychiatry
Sixty‐six patients with a tentative or certain diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) were examined with cranial computerized tomography (CT). Abnormalities found in 19 (29%) included discrete areas of decreased white matter density, enlarged ventricles, cortical atrophy, and focal areas of contrast enhancement. The presence of white matter lucencies and ventricular dilatation correlated with an increased incidence of diffuse hyperreflexia and mental impairment. Since half the patients with contrast‐enhancing lesions were clinically stable, their lesions may represent acute asymptomatic plaques. Abnormalities on CT scan were observed more often in older patients whose disease had lasted longer and was clinically more definite. Since findings were sparse in early, less definite disease, the use of CT as a purely diagnostic tool is limited.