Characterization of chronic active multiple sclerosis lesions with sodium ( ²³ Na) magnetic resonance imaging—preliminary observations

Background and purpose There has been an increasing interest in chronic active multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions as a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) marker of disease progression. Chronic are characterized by progressive tissue matrix damage, axonal loss inflammation. Sodium (23Na) MRI provides biochemical cell integrity viability quantitative manner. The aim this study was to investigate with 23Na abnormalities indicators destruction. Methods To identify lesions, two 3D magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient-echo datasets obtained 12 months apart were processed using the voxel-guided morphometry algorithm. Cross-sectional performed during 12-month follow-up period. Total sodium concentration calculated compared shrinking, stable acute contrast-enhancing lesions. Results Overall, 70 MS (21 active, 10 29 lesions) patients included. (49.57 ± 8.47 mM) significantly higher than shrinking (42.16 3.9 mM; p = 0.03) (39.92 4.82 < 0.001). showed similar values (48.06 6.65 0.97). No differences between observed (p 0.89). Conclusion High may be indicator ongoing inflammation damage.