Multiple sclerosis causes lesions to the spinal cord and other parts of the central nervous system. An MRI can detect spinal cord lesions and help diagnose and monitor the condition.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated condition that causes the body to attack the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS includes the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves.
A misdirected inflammatory response damages nerve cells of a protective coating called myelin. Myelin coats the nerve fibers from the brain, along the spinal cord, and throughout the body.
In addition to protecting the nerve cells, the myelin coating facilitates nerve transmission signals, or impulses. The resulting decrease in myelin leads to the symptoms of MS.
Read on to learn more about MS and spinal cord lesions, including the link between myelin and lesions, how doctors detect lesions on the spinal cord and more.
Demyelination affects the brain and spinal cord in MS. Sometimes demyelination causes scarring, often described as plaques. Inflammation, demyelinating changes, scars, and plaques can appear on imaging tests and are often described as lesions.
Sometimes, spinal cord demyelination is not necessarily an indication of MS. Spinal cord demyelination can occur with some other conditions, including lupus, infections, and other types of inflammation.
Your doctor will consider your symptoms, medical history, physical examination, and other diagnostic tests in diagnosing your condition.
Learn about whether it’s possible to have MS without lesions.
Often, an MRI of the brain or spinal cord can be useful in detecting areas of demyelination, as more than 90% of people with MS have at least one area of demyelination that can be visualized with an MRI scan.
MRI uses strong magnetic and radio waves to produce detailed pictures of the brain and spinal cord. This type of imaging can detect most areas of demyelination, scarring, or plaques in MS.
In general, more areas of spinal cord involvement and a higher total volume of spinal cord involvement correlate with more severe MS disability.
According to a small 2023 study, patients diagnosed with MS who did not have spinal cord involvement within 2 years of diagnosis were less likely to experience MS-associated disability within 5 years of their diagnosis than people who had spinal cord involvement early in their disease course.
However, the implications of the prognostic value of spinal cord lesions are not well established. These results are not consistent with other studies, which show that spinal cord lesions in MS often do not cause symptoms
Learn more about diagnostic tests for MS.
While spinal cord and brain lesions can suggest MS, the appearance of spinal cord lesions can also indicate another condition called neuromyelitis optica (NMO).
NMO has many overlapping symptoms with MS. Both NMO and MS are characterized by lesions and inflammation of the CNS. However, NMO occurs primarily on the spinal cord, and it also affects the nerves in the eyes.
NMO lesions also extend over
Learn more about MS vs. NMO.
Yes, new or growing spinal lesions can indicate that MS is progressing.
Spinal lesions with MS can cause symptoms such as muscle weakness and burning or electric shock-like painful sensations, as well as bladder problems and MS hug.
Having larger or a higher number of spinal lesions may suggest that you’re more likely to experience disability with MS.
Learn more about when MS becomes a disability.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disorder characterized by damage in the central nervous system, where myelin is damaged in a patchy pattern, sometimes causing nerve damage and scar tissue formation. In MS, demyelination can affect the brain and the spinal cord.
Brain or spinal cord MRI can detect areas of inflammation, demyelination, and scarring in MS. Your doctor will consider your symptoms, physical examination, and diagnostic tests to help create a treatment plan for you.