Asymptomatic Spinal Cord Lesions in Clinically Isolated Syndrome

Spinal cord lesions are often observed in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and are thought to portend a poor prognosis.

To verify that these lesions are associated with worse outcomes, investigators conducted a prospective cohort study of 131 patients with nonspinal presentation of clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) who underwent spinal cord and brain imaging at baseline and at follow-up a median of 5.2 years later.

Patients classified as disabled — with an expanded disability status score (EDSS) of ≥3.0 — had significantly more spinal cord and brain lesions at baseline than patients with an EDSS of <3.0. Patients with an EDSS of ≥3.0 also had increase in the number of spinal cord lesions or the volume of brain lesions at follow-up. Comb…