In multiple sclerosis (MS), iron rim lesions (IRLs) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are associated with pronounced intralesional tissue damage. The aim of this study was to investigate (peri-)lesional and structural connectivity tissue damage in IRLs compared to non-IRLs.
Material and methodsMRI was acquired on a 3 T system. Tissue integrity was assessed using the T1/T2-weighted (T1/T2w) ratio. Furthermore, we assessed the impact on structural network connectivity accounting for differences in lesion volumes and T1/T2w values.
ResultsSeventy-six patients (38 with at least one IRL and 38 age- and sex-matched patients without IRLs) were included. In the IRL-group, T1/T2w ratios of IRLs were significantly lower compared to non-IRLs (p < 0.05). When comparing the T1/T2w ratios in non-IRLs between the IRL-group and non-IRL group, there was no significant difference (p = 0.887). We observed a centrifugal decrease in microstructural damage from lesions to the perilesional white matter. In the IRL-group, T1/T2w ratios in the perilesional white matter 3–8 mm distant to the lesion were significantly lower in IRLs compared to non-IRLs. We found no significant differences in the amount of network disruption between both lesion types (p = 0.122).
ConclusionT1/T2w represents an interesting candidate to capture a pronounced intra- and perilesional tissue damage of IRLs. However, our preliminary results suggest that a pronounced tissue damage might not result in a higher disruption to structural connectivity networks in IRLs.
KeywordsMultiple sclerosis
Magnetic resonance imaging
iron rim lesions
Chronic active lesions
T1/T2-weighted ratio
AbbreviationsANTSAdvanced Normalization Tools
DMTdisease modifying therapy
EDSSExpanded Disability Status Scale
FLAIRfluid-attenuated inversion recovery
MPRAGEmagnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient-echo
MRImagnetic resonance imaging
NAGMnormal appearing grey matter
NAWMnormal appearing white matter
SWIsusceptibility-weighted imaging
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