[Nuclear magnetic resonance tomography in multiple sclerosis. Comparison of spinal and cerebral findings].

Out of a total number of 49 patients with clinically defined multiple sclerosis 46 were examined by cerebral and 44 by spinal MRI. Fifteen out of 44 patients with a sensory level as a symptom of spinal cord lesion on neurological examination had corresponding lesions in the spinal MRI. Morphological lesions were revealed by MRI in three patients without spinal symptoms. There were two patients without any spinal signs at clinical examination who had no spinal lesions in MRI. In this study the sensitivity of detecting multiple lesions by MRI was high with 98% in the brain and 82% in the spinal cord. The number of cerebral and spinal MRI lesions was compared. It is concluded that there is a correlation between the extent of cerebral and spinal lesions in MRI and the clinical status described by the Kurtzke disability status scale.