Hypointense and Hyperintense Lesions on Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Secondary-Progressive MS Patients

Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used to monitor disease activity in clinical trials in multiple sclerosis (MS). The purpose of this study is to examine lesion burden as determined from hypointense regions on postcontrast T1-weighted scans (or black holes), and lesion burden on conventional T2-weighted scans, from a cohort of secondary progressive MS patients who participated in a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind cross-over trial assessing the therapeutic efficacy of cladribine. T2 lesion volumes and black hole volumes are approximately normal distributed when log-transformed, and are highly correlated (adjusted R 2 = 0.63). Changes in clinical scores could be predicted with a reasonable degree of precision from baseline scores and changes in T2 lesion volumes (adjusted R 2 values 0.52–0.7). Stratification schemes for clinical trials should include the acute proportion of the disease (enhancing T1 lesions), degree of permanent damage (black holes), and T2 lesion volume.