ISNVD Abstract Book

TUESDAY – FEBRUARY 21, 2012 11:20am-11:40am
Iron in MS: Insights from MRI (Stefan Ropele, AUSTRIA)
There is strong evidence for increased iron deposition in the brain of patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis
(MS) which is commonly considered as a consequence of inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes. The
mechanism(s) behind this phenomenon are not yet fully clear but a better understanding can only be achieved
with reliable and precise techniques for iron mapping. MRI is the only method that allows to assess the iron
content non invasively. So far, MRI has been mainly used to assess disease related iron accumulation in the
basal ganglia. Current techniques include visual rating, relaxation time mapping, and imaging of local field
shifts, where some of these techniques have already been validated with mass spectrometry or synchrotron
technology. Recent studies suggest that iron accumulation in the basal ganglia is an epiphenomenon of MS as
it is directly linked to disease progression and accumulated neurodegeneration as measured by brain atrophy.
The fact that iron levels are normal at a very early stage of the disease is in line with this assumption. In
contrast, iron in and around MS lesions seems to be more directly related to local disease activity where it
might also act as a trigger or promoter of the neurodegenerative cascade. Current efforts therefore focus on
iron assessment in and around lesions but are limited by the diamagnetic effect of myelin and its orientational
dependency. New insights are expected from newer approaches such as quantitative susceptibility mapping
and from their application at ultra-high field strengths.
No financial disclosures to report.