RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics of enhanced brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadolinium-DTPA (GD) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: Brain enhanced MRI were studied in 186 patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis. 298 MRI enhanced lesions were followed every 4 weeks and the study lasted 3 months to 2 years. RESULTS: Of the 298 enhanced MRI lesions 207 (69.5%) lasted less than 4 weeks, 251 (84.2%) 8 weeks, and 272 (91.3%) 12 weeks. There were 3 lesions lasting more than 2 years. Round, oval, ring form, arcuate, spotty, or irregular MRI GD enhanced lesions were found in our MS data. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the MRI GD enhanced lesions disappear in 4 weeks. Very few can last more than 2 years. So it is necessary to perform the GD enhanced MRI in 4 weeks for studying MS intracranial GD enhanced lesions. The DA enhanced MRI lesions in MS may be round, oval, ring form, arcuate, spotty or irregular.