Elisabetta Pagani1,
Maria A. Rocca1, Giulia Longoni1, Vittorio Martinelli2,
Bruno Colombo2, Andrea Falini3, Giancarlo Comi2,
Massimo Filippi1
1Neuroimaging
Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific
Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, MI, Italy; 2Department
of Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele
University, Milan, MI, Italy; 3Department of Neuroradiology, San
Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan,
MI, Italy
The use of a regional approach for the study of hippocampal atrophy in a large cohort of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) allowed us to detect differences in the regional pattern of damage distribution across the main disease clinical phenotypes. We found a selective and progressive CA1 atrophy in patients with MS as well as a substantial involvement of the subiculum, the major efferent of hippocampal pathways, even in the early phases of the disease. Primary progressive MS MS patients, in whom inflammation is relatively modest, showed a relative sparing of hippocampal formation.