Cancer and multiple sclerosis: 2023 recommendations from the French Multiple Sclerosis Society.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological data reveal that 45% of persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) in France are more than 50 years. This population more than 50 is more susceptible to cancer, and this risk may be increased by frequent use of immunosuppressive drugs. Consequently, concerns have arisen about the potential increased risk of cancer in PwMS and how patients should be screened and managed in terms of cancer risk. OBJECTIVE: To develop evidence-based recommendations to manage the coexistence of cancer and multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: The French Group for Recommendations in MS collected articles from PubMed and university databases covering the period January 1975 through June 2022. The RAND/UCLA method was employed to achieve formal consensus. MS experts comprehensively reviewed the full-text articles and developed the initial recommendations. A group of multidisciplinary health care specialists then validated the final proposal. RESULTS: Five key questions were addressed, encompassing various topics such as cancer screening before or after initiating a disease-modifying therapy (DMT), appropriate management of MS in the context of cancer, recommended follow-up for cancer in patients receiving a DMT, and the potential reintroduction of a DMT after initial cancer treatment. A strong consensus was reached for all 31 recommendations. CONCLUSION: These recommendations propose a strategic approach to managing cancer risk in PwMS.

Pseudocystic inflammatory demyelinating lesions in multiple sclerosis: A clinical, radiological, and pathological description.

BACKGROUND: Pseudocystic inflammatory demyelinating lesions (PIDLs) are poorly described in MS and might represent a diagnostic challenge. OBJECTIVES: We described the clinical, radiological, pathological, and follow-up characteristics of 13 PIDL in 9 MS patients. METHODS: We constituted a single-center retrospective case series of PIDLs in MS, defined on MRI as expansive cyst-like lesions, with a fluid-signal content, and a diameter of 1 cm or more. RESULTS: PIDL often occurred at first event (56%), were often asymptomatic (69%), and encircled by a hypo-T2 diffusion-restricted rim and a thin ring-like gadolinium enhancement (100%) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Associated typical MS lesions were constant. Biopsies from two PIDLs displayed classical features of active MS, except for unusual edema. CONCLUSION: PIDLs are clinically unremarkable and associated with a good outcome. Their easily recognizable MRI features could help avoid biopsy.

A Weakly Supervised Gradient Attribution Constraint for Interpretable Classification and Anomaly Detection.

The lack of interpretability of deep learning reduces understanding of what happens when a network does not work as expected and hinders its use in critical fields like medicine, which require transparency of decisions. For example, a healthy vs pathological classification model should rely on radiological signs and not on some training dataset biases. Several post-hoc models have been proposed to explain the decision of a trained network. However, they are very seldom used to enforce interpretability during training and none in accordance with the classification. In this paper, we propose a new weakly supervised method for both interpretable healthy vs pathological classification and anomaly detection. A new loss function is added to a standard classification model to constrain each voxel of healthy images to drive the network decision towards the healthy class according to gradient-based attributions. This constraint reveals pathological structures for patient images, allowing their unsupervised segmentation. Moreover, we advocate both theoretically and experimentally, that constrained training with the simple Gradient attribution is similar to constraints with the heavier Expected Gradient, consequently reducing the computational cost. We also propose a combination of attributions during the constrained training making the model robust to the attribution choice at inference. Our proposition was evaluated on two brain pathologies: tumors and multiple sclerosis. This new constraint provides a more relevant classification, with a more pathology-driven decision. For anomaly detection, the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art especially on difficult multiple sclerosis lesions segmentation task with a 15 points Dice improvement.

Evaluation of CSF1R-related adult onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia diagnostic criteria.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Diagnostic criteria for adult onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP) due to colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) mutation have recently been proposed. Our objective was to assess their accuracy in an independent multicenter cohort. METHODS: We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic criteria for ALSP (including the "probable" and "possible" definitions) in a national cohort of 22 patients with CSF1R mutation, and 59 patients with an alternative diagnosis of adult onset inherited leukoencephalopathy. RESULTS: Overall, the sensitivity of the diagnostic criteria for ALSP was 82%, including nine of 22 patients diagnosed as probable and nine of 22 diagnosed as possible. Twenty of the 59 CSF1R mutation-negative leukoencephalopathies fulfilled the diagnostic criteria, leading to a specificity of 66%. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnostic criteria for ALSP have an overall limited sensitivity along with a modest specificity. We suggest that in patients suspected of genetic leukoencephalopathy, a comprehensive magnetic resonance imaging pattern-based approach is warranted, together with white matter gene panel or whole exome sequencing.

Risk Factors and Time to Clinical Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis Among Patients With Radiologically Isolated Syndrome.

Importance: Younger age, oligoclonal bands, and infratentorial and spinal cord lesions are factors associated with an increased 10-year risk of clinical conversion from radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) to multiple sclerosis (MS). Whether disease-modifying therapy is beneficial for individuals with RIS is currently unknown. Objectives: To evaluate the 2-year risk of a clinical event (onset of clinical symptoms of MS) prospectively, identify factors associated with developing an early clinical event, and simulate the sample size needed for a phase III clinical trial of individuals with RIS meeting 2009 RIS criteria. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study used data on prospectively followed-up individuals with RIS identified at 1 of 26 tertiary centers for MS care in France that collect data for the Observatoire Français de la Sclérose en Plaques database. Participants were aged 10 to 80 years with 2 or more magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans after study entry and an index scan after 2000. All diagnoses were validated by an expert group, whose review included a double centralized MRI reading. Data were analyzed from July 2020 to January 2021. Exposure: Diagnosis of RIS. Main Outcomes and Measures: Risk of clinical event and associated covariates at index scan were analyzed among all individuals with RIS. Time to the first clinical event was compared by covariates, and sample size estimates were modeled based on identified risk factors. Results: Among 372 individuals with RIS (mean [SD] age at index MRI scan, 38.6 [12.1] years), 354 individuals were included in the analysis (264 [74.6%] women). A clinical event was identified among 49 patients (13.8%) within 2 years, which was associated with an estimated risk of conversion of 19.2% (95% CI, 14.1%-24.0%). In multivariate analysis, age younger than 37 years (hazard ratio [HR], 4.04 [95% CI, 2.00-8.15]; P < .001), spinal cord lesions (HR, 5.11 [95% CI, 1.99-13.13]; P = .001), and gadolinium-enhancing lesions on index scan (HR, 2.09 [95% CI, 1.13-3.87]; P = .02) were independently associated with an increased risk of conversion to MS. Having 2 factors at the time of the index MRI scan was associated with a risk of 27.9% (95% CI, 13.5%-39.9%) of a seminal event within 2 years, increasing to 90.9% (95% CI, 41.1%-98.6%) for individuals with all 3 factors (3 risk factors vs none: HR, 23.34 [95% CI, 9.08-59.96]; P < .001). Overall, with 80% power to detect an effect size of 60% within 24 months, a total of 160 individuals with RIS were needed assuming an event rate of 20%. Conclusions and Relevance: This study found that age younger than age 37 years, spinal cord involvement, and gadolinium-enhancing lesions on index MRI scan were associated with earlier clinical disease and relevant to the number of enrolled patients needed to detect a potential treatment effect.

Oral nomegestrol acetate and transdermal 17-beta-estradiol for preventing post-partum relapses in multiple sclerosis: The POPARTMUS study.

BACKGROUND: Sex steroids could explain the course of multiple sclerosis (MS) in pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: To compare the annualized relapse rate (ARR) 12 weeks post-partum in women treated with nomegestrol acetate (NOMAc) and 17-beta-estradiol (E2) versus placebo. METHODS: POPARTMUS is a randomized, proof-of-concept trial in women with MS, receiving oral NOMAc 10 mg/day and transdermal estradiol 75 µg/week, or placebo. RESULTS: Recruitment was stopped prematurely due to slow inclusions (n = 202). No treatment effect was observed on ARR after 12 weeks (sex steroids = 0.90 (0.58-1.39), placebo = 0.97 (0.63-1.50) (p = 0.79)). CONCLUSION: POPARTMUS failed showing efficacy of a NOMAc-E2 combination in preventing post-partum relapses.

Outcome and risk of recurrence in a large cohort of idiopathic longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis without AQP4/MOG antibodies.

BACKGROUND: Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) is classically related to aquaporin (AQP4)-antibodies (Ab) neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) or more recently to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-Ab associated disease. However, some patients remain negative for any diagnosis, despite a large work-up including AQP4-Ab and MOG-Ab. Data about natural history, disability outcome, and treatment are limited in this group of patients. We aimed to (1) describe clinical, biological, and radiological features of double seronegative LETM patients; (2) assess the clinical course and identify prognostic factors; and (3) assess the risk of recurrence, according to maintenance immunosuppressive therapy. METHODS: Retrospective evaluation of patients with a first episode of LETM, tested negative for AQP-Ab and MOG-Ab, from the French nationwide observatory study NOMADMUS. RESULTS: Fifty-three patients (median age 38 years (range 16-80)) with double seronegative LETM were included. Median nadir EDSS at onset was 6.0 (1-8.5), associated to a median EDSS at last follow-up of 4.0 (0-8). Recurrence was observed in 24.5% of patients in the 18 following months, with a median time to first relapse of 5.7 months. The risk of recurrence was lower in the group of patients treated early with an immunosuppressive drug (2/22, 9%), in comparison with untreated patients (10/31, 32%). CONCLUSIONS: A first episode of a double seronegative LETM is associated to a severe outcome and a high rate of relapse in the following 18 months, suggesting that an early immunosuppressive treatment may be beneficial in that condition.

Pathologic and MRI analysis in acute atypical inflammatory demyelinating lesions.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of atypical inflammatory demyelinating lesions can be difficult. Brain biopsy is often required to exclude neoplasms. Moreover, the relationship between these lesions and multiple sclerosis and NMOSD is not clear. OBJECTIVES: Our objectives were to describe radiological and pathological characteristics of patients with acute inflammatory demyelinating lesions. METHODS: We retrospectively identified patients with brain biopsy performed for diagnostic uncertainty revealing a demyelinating lesion. A complete clinical, biological, radiological and pathological analysis was performed. RESULTS: Twenty patients (15 with a single lesion) were included. MRI disclosed a wide range of lesions including infiltrative lesions (40%), ring-like lesion (15%) Baló-like lesion (15%) and acute haemorrhagic leukoencephalitis (20%). In spite of a marked heterogeneity, some findings were common: a peripheral B1000 hyperintense rim (70%), a slight oedema with mild mass effect (75%) and an open-rim peripheral enhancement (75%). Histopathology revealed that all cases featured macrophages distributed throughout, extensive demyelination, axonal preservation and absence of haemorrhagic changes. In the majority of cases, macrophages were the predominant inflammatory infiltrate and astrocytes were reactive and dystrophic. Aquaporin-4 staining was systematically preserved. After a mean follow-up of 5 years (1-12), 16/20 patients had a diagnosis of monophasic acute atypical inflammatory demyelinating lesion. One patient was diagnosed with MS and 3 with AQP4 negative NMOSD. DISCUSSION: Although imaging findings in patients with atypical inflammatory demyelinating lesions are heterogeneous, some common features such as peripheral DWI hyperintense rim with open-rim enhancement and absence of oedema argue in favour of a demyelinating lesion and should preclude a brain biopsy. In this context, AQP4 staining is systematically preserved and argues against an AQP4-positive NMOSD. Moreover, long-term follow-up is characterized by low recurrence rate.

MOG antibody-related disorders: common features and uncommon presentations.

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies (MOG-Ab) have been reported in acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis (ADEM), optic neuritis (ON), and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) in adults and pediatrics. We aimed to delineate the common features of MOG-Ab-related disorders in children and adults, and report uncommon presentations. Twenty-seven consecutive pediatric and adult patients testing positive for MOG-Ab, with a minimum follow-up of 6 months, were included. Comprehensive epidemiological, clinical, radiological, and laboratory data were retrospectively analyzed. Additionally, we compared radiological features between ADEM MOG-Ab-positive patients, and a group of ADEM MOG-Ab-negative ones, recruited during the same period. Among the whole cohort, 13 (48.1%) were pediatric, and 14 (51.9%) were female. MOG-Ab-related disorders comprised eight ADEM, eight ON, five isolated myelitis, four with NMOSD and two patients with multiple sclerosis, at last follow-up. After a median follow-up of 17.8 months, 11 (40.7%) patients presented a relapse. The most frequent clinical phenotype at onset was encephalopathy in pediatrics (53.9%) and myelitis in adults (50%) (p = 0.013). There were no other differences between both groups. When comparing ADEM MOG-Ab positive and negative patients, bilateral thalamic lesions were more often found in the positive group (p = 0.010). Unusual presentations were identified in three patients: patchy spinal cord gadolinium-enhancing lesions, an associated teratoma, and one presented with status epilepticus. MOG-Ab-related disorders shared common clinical and prognostic features, but encompass a spectrum wider than recently reported.

Pseudotumoral presentation of cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the clinical and radiologic features that should raise suspicion for the pseudotumoral presentation of cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation (CAA-I). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the characteristics of 5 newly diagnosed and 23 previously reported patients in whom the CAA-I imaging findings were initially interpreted as CNS neoplasms. RESULTS: Most cases (85%) occurred in patients >60 years old. The clinical characteristics at presentation included subacute cognitive decline (50%), confusion (32%), focal deficits (32%), seizures (25%), and headaches (21%). Brain MRI demonstrated infiltrative white matter lesions that exhibited a loco-regional mass effect without parenchymal enhancement (93%). In general, these findings were interpreted as low-grade glioma or lymphoma. Eighteen patients (64%) underwent a biopsy, which was nondiagnostic in 4 patients (14%), and 6 patients (21%) underwent a surgical resection. The primary reason for the misinterpretation of the imaging findings was the absence of T2*-weighted gradient recalled echo (T2*-GRE) sequences on initial imaging (89%). When subsequently performed (39%), the T2*-GRE sequences demonstrated multiple characteristic cortical and subcortical microhemorrhages in all cases. Perfusion MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), which were performed on a subset of patients, indicated markedly reduced relative cerebral blood flow and a normal metabolic ratio. CONCLUSION: The identification of one or several nonenhancing space-occupying lesions, especially in elderly patients presenting with cognitive impairment, should raise suspicion for the pseudotumoral presentation of CAA-I and lead to T2*-GRE sequences. Perfusion MRI and MRS appear to be useful techniques for the differential diagnosis of this entity.

NMO-IgG and Devic's neuromyelitis optica: a French experience.

BACKGROUND: A serum autoantibody biomarker, NMO-IgG has been recently described in patients with Devic's neuromyelitis optica (DNMO) and so called ;high-risk' patients for this disease. Our objectives were to replicate the test and to assess its usefulness. METHODS: Indirect immunofluorescence with a substrate of adult rat cerebellum and midbrain was used to identify the distinctive NMO-IgG staining pattern. We tested masked sera from 26 patients with DNMO (group 1), 21 patients with idiopathic acute transverse myelitis (ATM) (group 2), 21 patients with bilateral and/or recurrent idiopathic optic neuritis (group 3), 52 patients with classical multiple sclerosis (MS) (group 4), 36 patients with HTLV-1 infection (group 5) and 7 patients with miscellaneous disorders (group 6). RESULTS: We identified a vascular staining pattern typical of NMO-IgG. This particular staining was observed in 14/26 samples in group 1, 7/21 in group 2 (positive only in longitudinally extensive acute transverse myelitis: 7/13), 4/21 in group 3 (with bilateral loss of vision in all seropositive cases), 5/52 in group 4 (none of them suggestive of DNMO), 0/36 in group 5 and 0/7 in group 6. Sensitivity of the test was 54% considering detection of DNMO (group 1), and specificity was respectively 94% and 90% when considering groups 4, 5 and 6 altogether or group 4 of MS patients only. CONCLUSION: Detection of NMO-IgG is contributory to the distinction of DNMO and 'DNMO high-risk' syndromes from MS. This test may allow earlier diagnosis and help therapeutic decisions.