Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Various authors have developed criteria to
classify MR imaging findings that suggest the possibility of multiple
sclerosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare
the capacity of three sets of MR imaging criteria for predicting
the conversion of isolated demyelinating syndromes to clinically
definite multiple sclerosis. METHODS: Seventy patients with clinically
isolated neurologic symptoms suggestive of multiple sclerosis were
prospectively studied with MR imaging. The MR imaging findings were
evaluated by two independent neuroradiologists who were blinded
to clinical follow-up data. Based on the clinical outcome at follow-up
(presence of a second attack that established clinically definite
multiple sclerosis), the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive
predictive value, and negative predictive value of the criteria
proposed by Paty et al, Fazekas et al, and Barkhof et al were calculated.
RESULTS: Clinically definite multiple sclerosis developed in 22
(31\%) patients after a mean follow-up time of 28.3 months. The
criteria proposed by Paty et al and those proposed by Fazekas et
al showed identical results: sensitivity, 86\%; specificity, 54\%;
accuracy, 64\%; positive predictive value, 46\%; and negative predictive
value, 89\%. The criteria proposed by Barkhof et al showed the following:
sensitivity, 73\%; specificity, 73\%; accuracy, 73\%; positive predictive
value, 55\%; and negative predictive value, 85\%. CONCLUSION: The
four dichotomized MR imaging parameters proposed by Barkhof et al
are more specific and accurate than the criteria proposed by Paty
et al or Fazekas et al for predicting conversion to clinically definite
multiple sclerosis.
- 10782781
- adult,
- aged,
- and
- comparative
- demyelinating
- diseases,
- female,
- g,
- humans,
- imagin,
- magnetic
- male,
- middle
- multiple
- of
- predictive
- prognosis,
- prospective
- reproducibility
- resonance
- results,
- sclerosis,
- sensitivity
- specificity,
- studies,
- study,
- tests,
- value
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