Multiple Sclerosis Vessels, Barriers of the Brain, Glymphatics, and New Spin on Lesions

Fadi El-Merhi, MD, Associate Chair, Enterprise Service, Department of Radiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Moderated by Charles Stanley, Senior Medical Science Liaison, Guerbet

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is mediated by lymphocyte-driven inflammation, resulting in demyelination lesions and significant disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Multiple Sclerosis Vessels, Barriers of the Brain, Glymphatics, and New Spin on Lesions reviews recent research about the pathways of gadolinium distribution in the brain, including through the BBB and glymphatic system. This research has helped to significantly advance MRI detection and characterization of lesions in MS by providing an improved understanding of enhancement patterns in different tissue types affected by MS.

You will learn to:
  • Discuss multiple sclerosis (MS) pathophysiology and disease progression
  • Review the types of MS lesions that can be identified and characterized with contrast-enhanced MRI
  • Summarize the distribution of gadolinium through the blood-brain barrier and glymphatic system and their significance in MRI imaging in MS
  • Describe MRI techniques used in MS including which sequences are optimal for detecting specific lesion types