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2017
Journal Article
Titel
Cervical cord and ventricle affection in neuromyelitis optica
Abstract
Objectives: Cervical cord involvement is common in neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and multiple sclerosis (MS), but its impact on disability in NMO has rarely been studied. Recent publications on NMO examined the periventricular system, areas of high aquaporin-4 expression, but not yet by using ventricle volumetry. Purpose: To compare cervical cord atrophy, ventricular widening, and supra- and infratentorial brain measures between NMO and MS, and study their impact on clinical disability. Methods: Magnet resonance imaging-based volumetry of upper cervical cord, third and fourth lateral ventricles, grey matter, white matter, brainstem, cerebellum and clinical status of 18 NMO and 20 MS patients, was compared between the groups and with 26 healthy controls. Patterns of ventricular widening relative to healthy controls were inspected by voxel-based morphometry of the cerebrospinal fluid.