Evaluation cervical cord changes in the patients with MS and their comparison with vasculitis patients

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis disease (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate cervical cord changes and to determine abnormal cervical cord prevalence in the patients with MS and their comparison with vasculitis patients. In a descriptive-analytic study carried out on 50 patients with MS, 40 patients with vasculitis and 50 people as control group in Tabriz Razi hospital, we studied cervical cord changes and the prevalence of cervical cord abnormalities in the patients with MS and vasculitis. From 50 MS patients, only four people had diffused lesions in spine that were all related to Primary Progressive (P-P) type. From the 22 patients with MS, having spinal symptoms during the study, focal lesions were revealed in the cervical cord Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of eight people (36.4%) whereas the lesions were found in 28 patients with MS who had no spinal symptoms. Diffused lesions were also found in the cervical cord MRI of four patients (18.2%) who had spinal symptoms whereas the lesions were found in the 28 patients with MS who had no spinal symptoms. There was a meaningful and the reverse relations between EDSS mean and transverse cross-section of cervical cord. In every five patients with MS one patient had demyelinated lesions in cervical spine which was more obvious in progressive types and atrophy degree of cervical spine was more in the patients with P-P and Secondary progressive types compared to the patients with relapsing remitting. [Nikanfar M, Charsouei S, Miabi Z, Sha'afi SH, Hashemilar M, Farhodi M, Ebrahimi A, Khabbazi A, Rikhtegar Ghiasi R. Evaluation cervical cord changes in the patients with MS and their comparison with vasculitis patients. Life Sci J 2012;9(4):607-613] (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 93