Computerized tomography in multiple sclerosis.

Forty-three patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) were examined clinically and with computerized tomography (CT). A total of 80 focal cerebral lesions were predicted by clinical neurologic examination. The CT scans showed foci corresponding to 31 (39%) of the clinically predicted 80 lesions. In addition to these foci, CT scans revealed 17 plaques of atypical periventricular localization as well as 18 focal lesions that produced no clinical signs in the course of the disease. The relations between duration of the disease and number of CT foci was significant; however, no relationship could be established between number of foci and number of previous bouts. Cerebral atrophic changes without any significant relationship to the duration of the disease and the number of bouts were found in 15 of the 43 patients. Use of CT may furnish additional information in cases that present diagnostic problems or at the first manifestations of MS.