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Perils and Pitfalls of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis
Author(s) -
Schiffer R. B.,
Giang Daniel W.,
Mushlin Alvin,
Ketonen Leena,
Joy Stephen,
Kido Dan,
Goodman AndreW D.,
Mattson David H.,
Mooney Cathy
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of neuroimaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1552-6569
pISSN - 1051-2284
DOI - 10.1111/jon19933281
Subject(s) - medicine , multiple sclerosis , magnetic resonance imaging , radiology , medical diagnosis , mri scan , abnormality , psychiatry
Purpose . Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has come to assume a position of major importance in the diagnostic process for multiple sclerosis (MS). The authors believe that a tendency toward overreliance on MRI results in isolation from clinical findings continues to result in both false‐positive and false‐negative diagnostic errors. Methods . To evaluate this, MRI results in newly referred patients with clinical findings suggestive, but not diagnostic, for MS, were studied prospectively. Results . Of 99 consecutive referrals for suspected MS, there were 3 false‐positive diagnoses of MS and 7 false‐negatives, when the MRis were read in isolation from specific clinical data. None of the scans in the false‐negative groups were normal. Representative images of both groups are provided. Conclusion . In newly referred patients who fall short of criteria for definite MS, it remains dangerous for both clinicians and radiologists to rely too heavily only on MRI results.