Abstract #4074

Characterization of the Perivascular Distribution of White Matter Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis Phenotypes by 7T MRI

Caterina Mainero¹, Emanuele Tinelli², Allen Nielsen³, Thomas Benner¹, Bruce R. Rosen¹, Revere Philip Kinkel³

¹A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States; ²Dept of Neurological Sciences, Universtiy of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy; ³Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States

We used 7T high-resolution T2* imaging in 47 subjects with multiple sclerosis (MS) to assess the presence, distribution, and clinical relevance of a central vein in white matter (WM) plaques in MS phenotypes. WM lesions with a central vessel were detected in all MS phenotypes. The extent of these lesions was relevant in secondary-progressive MS. In all patients, disability was independently associated with greater lesion load of plaques with a centrel vessel with a periventricular location. Further studies are needed to elucidate the substrates of this type of lesions and its potential as a clinical marker of disease outcome.