Seven-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging: new vision of microvascular abnormalities in multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND

Although the role of vascular pathology in multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions was suggested long ago, the derivation of these lesions from the vasculature has been difficult to assess in vivo. Ultrahigh-field (eg, 7-T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a tool for assessing vascular involvement in MS lesions owing to markedly increased image resolution and susceptibility contrast of venous blood.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the perivenous association of MS lesions on high-resolution and high-contrast 7-T susceptibility-sensitive MRI.

DESIGN

Case study.

SETTING

University hospital.

PATIENTS

Two women with clinically definite relapsing-remitting MS.

RESULTS

We demonstrated markedly enhanced detection of unique microvascular involvement associated with most of the visualized MS lesions with abnormal signals on and around the venous wall on 7-T compared with 3-T MRI.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings, which have never been shown on conventional fields of MRI, not only allow for direct evidence of vascular pathogenesis in MS in vivo but also have important implications for monitoring lesion activity and therapeutic response.