MRI Features And Clinicalanalysis Of The Spinal Cord In Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate the MRI characteristics of spinal cord(SC)lesions in Multiple sclerosis(MS)patients and to explore the differences in the characteristic of SC lesions in MS patients with different degrees of disability.Materials and Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data and the SC images of 93 MS patients,collected the Expanded Disability Status Scale(EDSS)score at the time of the acute episode and classified patients into different disability groups according to EDSS.Additionally,we analyzed the differences in the characteristics of SC lesions in MS patients with different degrees of disability.Results:The most MS patients with SC symptoms were female,mainly manifested as motor or sensory dysfunction,and sphincter dysfunction was relatively rare,and mainly signs were superficial hypoesthesia,decreased muscle strength and tendon reflexes.The more severe the disability of MS patients,the higher the incidence of SC lesions,but there was no statistical difference.The incidence of more than 3 SC lesions was higher in severe disability group than in the other two groups(P =0.000).Compared with the mild and moderate disability groups,central SC lesions were more frequently observed in the severely disabled group(P =0.011).SC swelling,central canal dilated,bright spotty sign and cavity were more easily observed in the severe disability group,but these characteristics had no statistical significance among the three disability groups.Conclusion:There was heterogeneity in the imaging characteristics of SC lesions in MS patients with different disability groups with predominantly SC symptoms,with a high prevalence of SC swelling,number of lesions in the SC ≥ 3,SC central zone involvement,central canal dilatation,bright spot sign,and cavitation in MS patients with severe disability.We can analyze the SC lesion characteristics to assess the severity of MS patients with predominantly SC symptoms,inform patients about how their disease may progress in the future,and assist in clinical selection of therapies to alleviate patients’ conditions and develop individualized treatment plans.