Evaluation of the interthalamic adhesion in patients with multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic demyelinating disease causing atrophy in whole brain and deep gray matter structures resulting in physical and cognitive disability. In this study, we investigated the size of ITA in patients with MS and evaluated the relationship between the size of ITA and CCI, EDSS score and disease duration. The subjects aged 18 to 60 years who had 3D FLAIR images were included to this retrospective study. Patient group consisted of 104 subjects with a diagnosis of MS and the control group consisted of 59 subjects with normal imaging findings. Two operators independently reviewed midsagittal 3D FLAIR images to detect and measure the ‘surface area’, ‘ap’ and ‘cc’ size of ITA and calculated CCI. Clinical data including MS subtype, EDSS score and disease duration were evaluated in patients. P < 0.05 was considered significant. While ITA was present in all subjects of control group, it was absent in 19 MS patients (19/104; % 18,26). The mean values of CCI, ‘surface area’, ‘cc’ and ‘ap’ size of ITA in MS patients were lower than those in control group. The ITA parameters showed positive correlation with CCI and no correlation with EDSS score and disease duration in patient group. The mean values for age, disease duration and EDSS score were higher in patients without ITA than those with an identifiable ITA. Our study shows that the size of ITA may have a potential role in the assessment of the cerebral atrophy in MS patients.