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      Clinical and radiographic spectrum of pathologically confirmed tumefactive multiple sclerosis

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          Abstract

          Atypical imaging features of multiple sclerosis lesions include size >2 cm, mass effect, oedema and/or ring enhancement. This constellation is often referred to as ‘tumefactive multiple sclerosis’. Previous series emphasize their unifocal and clinically isolated nature, however, evolution of these lesions is not well defined. Biopsy may be required for diagnosis. We describe clinical and radiographic features in 168 patients with biopsy confirmed CNS inflammatory demyelinating disease (IDD). Lesions were analysed on pre- and post-biopsy magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for location, size, mass effect/oedema, enhancement, multifocality and fulfilment of Barkhof criteria. Clinical data were correlated to MRI. Female to male ratio was 1.2 : 1, median age at onset, 37 years, duration between symptom onset and biopsy, 7.1 weeks and total disease duration, 3.9 years. Clinical course prior to biopsy was a first neurological event in 61%, relapsing–remitting in 29% and progressive in 4%. Presentations were typically polysymptomatic, with motor, cognitive and sensory symptoms predominating. Aphasia, agnosia, seizures and visual field defects were observed. At follow-up, 70% developed definite multiple sclerosis, and 14% had an isolated demyelinating syndrome. Median time to second attack was 4.8 years, and median EDSS at follow-up was 3.0. Multiple lesions were present in 70% on pre-biopsy MRI, and in 83% by last MRI, with Barkhof criteria fulfilled in 46% prior to biopsy and 55% by follow-up. Only 17% of cases remained unifocal. Median largest lesion size on T2-weighted images was 4 cm (range 0.5–12), with a discernible size of 2.1 cm (range 0.5–7.5). Biopsied lesions demonstrated mass effect in 45% and oedema in 77%. A strong association was found between lesion size, and presence of mass effect and/or oedema ( P < 0.001). Ring enhancement was frequent. Most tumefactive features did not correlate with gender, course or diagnosis. Although lesion size >5 cm was associated with a slightly higher EDSS at last follow-up, long-term prognosis in patients with disease duration >10 years was better (EDSS 1.5) compared with a population-based multiple sclerosis cohort matched for disease duration (EDSS 3.5; P < 0.001). Given the retrospective nature of the study, the precise reason for biopsy could not always be determined. This study underscores the diagnostically challenging nature of CNS IDDs that present with atypical clinical or radiographic features. Most have multifocal disease at onset, and develop RRMS by follow-up. Although increased awareness of this broad spectrum may obviate need for biopsy in many circumstances, an important role for diagnostic brain biopsy may be required in some cases.

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          Plasma exchange for severe attacks of CNS demyelination: predictors of response.

          The authors reviewed 59 consecutive patients treated with plasma exchange (PE) for acute, severe attacks of CNS demyelination at Mayo Clinic from January 1984 through June 2000. Most patients had relapsing-remitting MS (n = 22, 37.3%), neuromyelitis optica (NMO) (n = 10, 16.9%), and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (n = 10, 16.9%). PE was followed by moderate or marked functional improvement in 44.1% of treated patients. Male sex (p = 0.021), preserved reflexes (p = 0.019), and early initiation of treatment (p = 0.009) were associated with moderate or marked improvement. Successfully treated patients improved rapidly following PE, and improvement was sustained.
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            Incidence and prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1985-2000.

            Epidemiologic data for multiple sclerosis (MS) in Olmsted County, MN, have been recorded for almost 100 years and have indicated that the increasing prevalence rate was likely due in part to an increasing incidence rate. All cases of MS diagnosed from 1985 to 2000 were identified using the centralized diagnostic index at the Mayo Clinic and the Rochester Epidemiology Program Project, a shared database of all medical practitioners in the county. Patients were required to have established residency at least 1 year prior to diagnosis of MS. Results were also age- and sex-adjusted to control for shifts in the population structure. The raw prevalence of MS was determined to be 177 per 100,000 on December 1, 2000, and the raw incidence rate was 7.5 per 100,000 person-years at risk from 1985 to 2000. After age and sex adjustment to a common population, these prevalence and incidence rates of MS appear to have been stable rather than increasing over the past 20 years.
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              Placebo-controlled multicentre randomised trial of interferon beta-1b in treatment of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. European Study Group on interferon beta-1b in secondary progressive MS.

              The beneficial effects of interferon beta have only been shown for patients in the relapsing-remitting phase of multiple sclerosis (MS). The role of interferon beta in the treatment of patients who are in the secondary progressive phase of the disease (SP-MS), and for whom no effective drug treatment is available, has not been assessed. In this multicentre, double-masked, randomised, placebo-controlled trial, outpatients with SP-MS having scores of 3.0-6.5 on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) received either 8 million IU interferon beta-1b every other day subcutaneously, or placebo, for up to 3 years. The primary outcome was the time to confirmed progression in disability as measured by a 1.0 point increase on the EDSS, sustained for at least 3 months, or a 0.5 point increase if the baseline EDSS was 6.0 or 6.5. A prospectively planned interim analysis of safety and efficacy of the intention-to-treat population was done after all patients had been in the study for at least 2 years. 358 patients with SP-MS were allocated placebo and 360 were allocated interferon beta-1b; 57 patients (31 placebo, 26 interferon beta-1b) were lost to follow-up. There was a highly significant difference in time to confirmed progression of disability in favour of interferon beta-1b (p=0.0008). Interferon beta-1b delayed progression for 9-12 months in a study period of 2-3 years. The odds ratio for confirmed progression was 0.65 (95% CI 0.52-0.83). This beneficial effect was seen in patients with superimposed relapses and in patients who had only progressive deterioration without relapses. Positive results were also obtained regarding time to becoming wheelchair-bound, relapse rate and severity, number of steroid treatments and hospital admissions, as well as on magnetic resonance imaging variables. The drug was safe and side effects were in line with previous experience with interferon beta-1b. The study was stopped after the interim results gave clear evidence of efficacy. Treatment with interferon beta-1b delays sustained neurological deterioration in patients with SP-MS. Interferon beta-1b is the first treatment to show a therapeutic effect in patients with SP-MS.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Brain
                brainj
                brain
                Brain
                Oxford University Press
                0006-8950
                1460-2156
                July 2008
                4 June 2008
                4 June 2008
                : 131
                : 7
                : 1759-1775
                Affiliations
                1Department of Neurology, Rochester, MN, 2Department of Neuropathology, Institute for Multiple Sclerosis Research, Georg-August University, Gottingen, Germany, 3Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, 4Health Sciences Research, Rochester, MN, 5Department of Neurology, University of Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey, 6Radiology, College of Medicine, Rochester, MN and 7Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
                Author notes
                Correspondence to: Claudia F. Lucchinetti, Mayo Clinic, Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
                Article
                awn098
                10.1093/brain/awn098
                2442427
                18535080
                91c997b5-b2f6-4290-8ff0-e1623e8ad766
                © 2008 The Author(s)

                This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

                History
                : 5 December 2007
                : 25 April 2008
                : 30 April 2008
                Categories
                Original Articles

                Neurosciences
                biopsy,pathology,tumefactive multiple sclerosis,mri,demyelinating disease
                Neurosciences
                biopsy, pathology, tumefactive multiple sclerosis, mri, demyelinating disease

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