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Abstract #4074

Characterization of the Perivascular Distribution of White Matter Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis Phenotypes by 7T MRI

Caterina Mainero1, Emanuele Tinelli2, Allen Nielsen3, Thomas Benner1, Bruce R. Rosen1, Revere Philip Kinkel3

1A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States; 2Dept of Neurological Sciences, Universtiy of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy; 3Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States


We used 7T high-resolution T2* imaging in 47 subjects with multiple sclerosis (MS) to assess the presence, distribution, and clinical relevance of a central vein in white matter (WM) plaques in MS phenotypes. WM lesions with a central vessel were detected in all MS phenotypes. The extent of these lesions was relevant in secondary-progressive MS. In all patients, disability was independently associated with greater lesion load of plaques with a centrel vessel with a periventricular location. Further studies are needed to elucidate the substrates of this type of lesions and its potential as a clinical marker of disease outcome.