Miroslav Brozman
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most important paraclinic test in diagnosis and monitoring of natural course and therapeutic measures of multiple sclerosis. MRI is considered the surrogate marker of multiple sclerosis. It is used in several clinical studies for diagnosis of onset and observation of progression of the disease, as well as for evaluation of different therapies. MRI enables monitoring of pathology of the disease during patient’s life by means of so called conventional MRI parameters (typical T2, T1 and gadolinium-enhancing lesions), and progression of cerebral atrophy. The main advantage of MRI is high sensitivity which enables to diagnose the disease very soon after first clinical manifestation. Disadvantage of MRI is low specificity of conventional MRI parameters and low correlation between MRI activity and progression of disability in MS patients. Non-conventional MRI techniques are able better to diagnose brain destruction and detect changes not only in white, but also in grey cerebral matter. It is considered that by combination of conventional and non-conventional MRI techniques in standardized diagnostic protocols we will be able to predict clinical course of the disease in individual patients and better evaluate the impact of several therapeutic measures.