7T MRI: New Vision of Microvascular Abnormalities in Multiple Sclerosis

The publisher’s final edited version of this article is available at Arch Neurol

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Although the role of vascular pathology in multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions was suggested long ago, the derivation of these lesions from the vasculature has been difficult to assess in vivo. Ultra-high-field (e.g. 7T) MRI has provided an imaging tool for assessing vascular involvement in MS lesions due to markedly increased image resolution and susceptibility contrast of venous blood.

To describe the perivenous relationship of MS lesions on high resolution and contrast 7T MR susceptibility sensitive imaging.

We demonstrate markedly enhanced detection of unique microvascular involvement that is associated with most of the visualized MS lesions with abnormal signals on and around venous wall on 7T as compared to 3T MRI.

These findings, which have never been shown on conventional field of MRI, not only allow for direct evidence of vascular pathogenesis in MS in vivo, but have important implications for monitoring lesion activity and therapeutic response.