scholarly journals Fusing Markov random fields with anatomical knowledge and shape-based analysis to segment multiple sclerosis white matter lesions in magnetic resonance images of the brain

Author(s):  
Stephan AlZubi ◽  
Klaus D. Toennies ◽  
N. Bodammer ◽  
Herman Hinrichs
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 356-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianvincenzo Sparacia ◽  
Francesco Agnello ◽  
Angelo Gambino ◽  
Martina Sciortino ◽  
Massimo Midiri

Purpose The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence and distribution of the ‘central vein’ sign in white matter lesions on susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance images in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Materials and methods T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance images of 19 MS patients and 19 patients affected by CSVD were analysed for the presence and localisation of focal hyperintense white matter lesions. Lesions were subdivided into periventricular or non-periventricular (juxtacortical, subcortical, deep white matter and cerebellar) distributed. The number and localisation of lesions presenting with the central vein sign were recorded and compared between MS and CSVD lesions. Results A total of 313 MS patients and 75 CSVD lesions were identified on T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance images. The central vein sign was found in 128 MS lesions (40.9%), and the majority of them (71/128, 55.5%) had a periventricular distribution. The central vein sign was found in 22 out of 75 (29.3%) CSVD lesions, and periventricular distribution was seen in six out of 22 (27.2%) CSVD lesions. The difference in the proportion of white matter hyperintense lesions that presented with the central vein sign on susceptibility-weighted images in patients with MS and CSVD was statistically different, and a significantly higher number of MS patients presented with lesions with the central vein sign compared to CSVD patients. Conclusion The presence of the central vein sign on susceptibility-weighted images for MS lesions improves the understanding of the periventricular distribution of MS lesions and could contribute as adjunctive diagnostic criteria for MS disease.


Medicina ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 48 (9) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Hanna Kuusisto ◽  
Xingchen Wu ◽  
Prasun Dastidar ◽  
Tiina Luukkaala ◽  
Irina Elovaara

Background and Objective. Brain size, white matter hyperintensity, and the development of brain atrophy are known to be highly heritable. The decrease of brain volume starts from the very onset of multiple sclerosis and is 10-fold compared with normal aging. The aim of this study was to assess whether the brain and spinal cord volumes and the volume of white matter lesions differed between twins with multiple sclerosis and their asymptomatic co-twins. Material and Methods. A co-twin control method was used to evaluate whether the brain and spinal cord volumes differ between twins with multiple sclerosis and their co-twins. Nineteen twin pairs were studied neurologically, and the volumes of T1, T2, FLAIR, and gadolinium-enhanced lesions and those of the brain and the spinal cord were obtained by magnetic resonance imaging. Results. Significant differences in the brain (P=0.064) or spinal cord (P=0.648) volumes were not detected. Four of the 7 monozygotic and 5 of the 12 dizygotic co-twins had focal brain white matter lesions, but none fulfilled the magnetic resonance imaging criteria of Barkhof. Spinal cord lesions were not seen in any of the co-twins. Conclusions. The absence of a significant difference in the brain or spinal cord volume between the twins with multiple sclerosis and their co-twins supports the recent observation of brain size and the development of brain atrophy being highly heritable.


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