We performed brain MRIs on 21 patients with CNS sarcoidosis. Brain CTs were performed in 18 of these. Parenchymal lesions were seen in 17 of 21 with MRI, compared with 9 of 18 with CT. MRI detected a greater number of parenchymal lesions in cases where both CT and MRI were positive, and some lesions appeared more extensive with MRI than with CT. The most common MRI pattern was one of periventricular and multifocal white matter lesions (14 cases). Such a pattern is not specific, and other recognized causes for it were identified in four cases. It is likely, however, that sarcoid tissue causes this pattern in some cases, and confirmation was obtained from cerebral biopsy in one. In six patients, the white matter changes were indistinguishable from those seen in multiple sclerosis. Contrast-enhanced CT in two patients showed diffuse meningeal involvement not seen with MRI. MRI is the investigation of choice in detecting parenchymal changes in the brain of patients with CNS sarcoidosis and may prove useful in monitoring treatment in such cases.
SYNOPSISThis study reports the psychiatric morbidity in 116 patients with definite multiple sclerosis (MS). The presence of brain pathology was investigated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A group of 48 physically disabled controls suffering from rheumatic or neurological conditions not involving the brain was used for comparison. Normative MRI data were obtained from a group of 40 healthy volunteers.Psychiatric morbidity was significantly higher in the MS group with nearly half of the patients scoring as cases at interview. There was no evidence to suggest that psychiatric symptoms in isolation were the first manifestation of MS in the present material. The presence of psychiatric illness at interview was significantly related to the degree of social stress as perceived by the patient. The severity of MRI abnormalities was greater in those with longer histories and greater physical disability, but did not show a significant relationship with global measures of psychiatric disability. Of the various psychiatric symptoms elation was significantly correlated with the presence of widespread MRI abnormalities, while flattening of affect, delusions and thought disorder correlated with the degree of pathology in the temporo-parietal region.
This study reports the performance on psychometric tests of a group of 48 patients with clinically isolated lesions of the type seen in multiple sclerosis (optic neuritis, brainstem and cord lesions). The cognitive functions studied were: 'IQ deficit', verbal and visual memory, abstracting ability, visual and auditory attention, and naming ability. The presence of brain pathology was investigated by means of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A group of 46 patients with rheumatic and neurological conditions not known to cause brain disease was used for comparison. Normative MRI data were obtained from a group of 40 normal volunteers. An overall 'Cognitive Ability Index' was significantly worse in patients with clinically isolated lesions when compared with physically disabled controls. IQ deficit and defective auditory attention were the more severely affected parameters. These deficits were significantly correlated with the duration of neurological symptoms and with the degree of brain pathology detected by MRI.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.