Magnetic Resonance Imaging For Diagnosis And Treatment Of Multiple Sclerosis
Magnetic resonance imaging is a noninvasive imaging technique used by doctors to examine your organs, tissues and skeletal system for diagnosis of a variety of medical problems. High-resolution images are produced for better evaluation and treatment. MRI is an imaging test that produces clear images of the human body without the use of X-rays. It uses a large magnet, radio waves and a computer to produce these images.
Widespread use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging has revolutionized the ability to diagnose multiple sclerosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enables doctors to diagnose multiple sclerosis (MS) faster, rather than waiting for evidence of proliferation over time. Studies reveal that early treatment can lessen disease activity and severity; but if multiple sclerosis is left untreated in the early stages, the disease can be more resistant and can accelerate more rapidly.
In more than 90 per cent of people suspected of having multiple sclerosis, changes in the brain or spinal cord can be detected by MRI multiple sclerosis. Magnetic resonance imaging scan makes it possible to detect damaged sites in the brain or spinal cord that can be missed by other imaging techniques such as a CAT scan. However, about 10 per cent of people with MS do not have abnormalities detected on MRI. So a "negative" scan does not completely rule out MS. At times a person with multiple sclerosis has to undergo repeat scans to determine how fast the disease is progressing.
Researchers in UK have a different take on it. According to them, patients with a first attack suggesting MS have around a 60 per cent possibility of developing MS. If they have a positive MRI scan, the probability increases to 75 to 84 per cent. On the other hand if the scan is negative, the probability decreases to 43 to 57 per cent. According to researchers, Neurologists should analyze the real possibility of a false positive or false negative diagnosis of multiple sclerosis using MRI multiple sclerosis.