Assessing Multiple Sclerosis Brain Plaques using Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging in Comparison with T2W and FLAIR

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the potential of SWI in comparison with T2W and FLAIR sequences for evaluating the brain plaques in Multiple sclerosis.Materials and Methods: In this prospective study, the patients with confirmed diagnosis of MS were enrolled since June 2016 to January 2017. The primary collected data were age, gender, disease duration and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). All patients were undergone brain MRI consisting T2-wighted (T2W), fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) sequences. The number and volume of plaques were measured. Moreover, the detection of iron deposition and central veins in MS plaques were assessed by SWI.Results: 35 patients were enrolled and categorized into two groups based on their disease duration. 18 cases had more than 5 years' disease duration (group 1) and 17 patients had less than 5 years' disease duration (group 2). The age, gender and EDSS were not significantly different between groups. All obtained sequences showed fewer number of plaques as the disease duration was less (P<0.05). On the other hand, the calculated mean volume of plaques in obtained sequences was not different between groups. SWI has also the ability of detection iron deposition and central vein in MS plaques.Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that SWI is an additional sequence ,that together to usual MRI sequences, helps to characterize the white matter lesions detected by the conventional protocol, in multiple sclerosis diagnosis with superiority of detecting iron deposition and central veins.