Role Of The Central Vein Sign In The Differentiation Of Multiple Sclerosis And Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder

Objective:The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis(MS)is often difficult and challenging,particularly since some of syndromes and diseases may mimic its clinical and/or radiographic appearance.prompt and correct diagnosis plays an important role in early treatment and prognosis.Presently conventional magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)is still an important diagnostic tool in MS.Recent studies have shown that the presence of the central vein sign(CVS)in white matter lesions is helpful in distinguishing MS from its mimics.This study will retrospectively analyze the CVS in MS and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder(NMOSD),providing an important basis for clinical differentiation between two diseases.Methods:We recruited 21 participants diagnosed with MS and 20 with NMOSD.The participants cranial white matter lesions on T2-weighted MRI were retrospectively analyzed.The presence of CVS in white matter lesions was defined as a thin hypointense line or small dot.Results: Of 200 total white matter lesions in MS,122(61%)demonstrated the central vien sign,comparingly,in NMOSD,central vein signs were found in 12 of the 100 lesions(12%).This indicates that the proportion of lesions with the CVS was higher in MS than NMOSD(59.39% vs 14.11%,P<0.001).Conclusion:The identification of the central vein sign by using 1.5T MRI may help distinguish MS from NMOSD.