TY - JOUR
T1 - Sensitivities and predictive values of paraclinical tests for diagnosing multiple sclerosis
AU - Filippini, Graziella
AU - Comi, Gian Carlo
AU - Cosi, Vittorio
AU - Bevilacqua, Luciana
AU - Ferrarini, Massimo
AU - Martinelli, Vittorio
AU - Bergamaschi, Roberto
AU - Filippi, Massimo
AU - Citterio, Antonietta
AU - D'Incerti, Ludovico
AU - Campi, Adriana
AU - Sberna, Maurizio
AU - Riti, Francesco
AU - Avanzini, Giuliano
AU - Colombo, Nadia
AU - Zappoli, Federico
AU - Scotti, Giuseppe
AU - Savoiardo, Mario
PY - 1994/3
Y1 - 1994/3
N2 - The sensitivities and predictive values of visual, somatosensory, and brain auditory evoked potentials (EPs), cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal banding (CSF-OB) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were evaluated for the early diagnosis of clinically definite multiple sclerosis (CDMS). Paraclinical evidence of asymptomatic lesions allows a diagnosis of CDMS. Eighty-two patients in whom MS was suspected but diagnosis of CDMS was not possible entered the study prospectively. Paraclinical examinations were performed at entry. Patients were examined and underwent EPs every 6 months, and MRI yearly. After a mean follow-up of 2.9 years, 28 patients (34%) had developed CDMS (McDonald-Halliday criteria). The initial MRI was strongly suggestive of MS in 19 of these (68%), while 27 (96%) had at least one MS-like abnormality in the initial MRI. CSF-OB and EPs had lower sensitivities. CDMS developed during follow-up in 19 of the 36 patients (53%) who had an initial MRI strongly suggestive of MS but in only 1 of the 25 who had normal MRI when first studied. These results support previous conclusions that MRI is the most sensitive test for detecting white matter asymptomatic lesions, and the most predictive for the diagnosis of CDMS.
AB - The sensitivities and predictive values of visual, somatosensory, and brain auditory evoked potentials (EPs), cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal banding (CSF-OB) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were evaluated for the early diagnosis of clinically definite multiple sclerosis (CDMS). Paraclinical evidence of asymptomatic lesions allows a diagnosis of CDMS. Eighty-two patients in whom MS was suspected but diagnosis of CDMS was not possible entered the study prospectively. Paraclinical examinations were performed at entry. Patients were examined and underwent EPs every 6 months, and MRI yearly. After a mean follow-up of 2.9 years, 28 patients (34%) had developed CDMS (McDonald-Halliday criteria). The initial MRI was strongly suggestive of MS in 19 of these (68%), while 27 (96%) had at least one MS-like abnormality in the initial MRI. CSF-OB and EPs had lower sensitivities. CDMS developed during follow-up in 19 of the 36 patients (53%) who had an initial MRI strongly suggestive of MS but in only 1 of the 25 who had normal MRI when first studied. These results support previous conclusions that MRI is the most sensitive test for detecting white matter asymptomatic lesions, and the most predictive for the diagnosis of CDMS.
KW - Cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal banding
KW - Evoked potentials
KW - Magnetic resonance imaging
KW - Multiple sclerosis
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U2 - 10.1007/BF00868339
DO - 10.1007/BF00868339
M3 - Article
C2 - 8164014
AN - SCOPUS:0027957386
VL - 241
SP - 132
EP - 137
JO - Journal of Neurology
JF - Journal of Neurology
SN - 0340-5354
IS - 3
ER -