Incidental MRI lesions suggestive of multiple sclerosis in asymptomatic patients in Karachi, Pakistan

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2011 Jan;82(1):83-5. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.2009.180000. Epub 2010 Oct 22.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify asymptomatic patients with brain MRI lesions suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a low-prevalence area of Pakistan. Brain MRIs for 864 patients were reviewed at the Aga Khan University (Karachi, Pakistan) during an 8-month period of 2006 and 2007 to identify patients with lesions suggestive of MS. The lesions were characterised based on modified Barkhof criteria. Six (two females) (0.7%) of 864 patients fulfilled brain MRI criteria suggestive of MS. The mean number of MRI lesions (total lesions on T2) were 9 (range 5-14). Although Pakistan is considered a low-prevalence area for MS, 0.7% of brain MRI scans in patients without clinical MS symptoms showed lesions fulfilling brain MRI criteria of MS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Evoked Potentials, Visual / physiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Multiple Sclerosis / diagnosis
  • Multiple Sclerosis / epidemiology
  • Multiple Sclerosis / pathology*
  • Pakistan / epidemiology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Young Adult