Reassessing dissemination in space: The role of spinal cord lesion burden in early multiple sclerosis diagnosis.

INTRODUCTION: The presence of multiple spinal cord lesions has been suggested as an additional risk factor for conversion. However, their prognostic significance in the absence of brain lesions remains uncertain.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether baseline spinal cord MRI features predict conversion to multiple sclerosis in patients presenting with isolated myelitis, and to compare baseline clinical, radiological, and paraclinical characteristics between converters and non-converters.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study involving patients with a first episode of acute or subacute myelitis, without brain lesions at baseline MRI was conducted. All patients underwent a standardized diagnostic evaluation including brain and spinal MRI with contrast, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and serum testing for aquaporin-4 and MOG antibodies to confirm inflammatory myelitis and exclude alternative etiologies. Clinical and paraclinical variables were analyzed.

RESULTS: We evaluated 112 patients, of whom 33% converted to MS during a median follow-up of 32.6 months. Multiple asymptomatic spinal cord lesions were associated with a higher risk of conversion to MS (HR=2.04; 95%CI:1-3.9; p = 0.03), even after adjusting for age, female sex, and the presence of gadolinium-enhancing lesions. Patients who converted to MS more frequently had cervical lesions (70% vs. 44%; p = 0.01) and were significantly younger at onset (median 34.8 vs. 42 years; p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION: Multiple asymptomatic spinal cord lesions are associated with a higher risk of conversion to MS, supporting their value as a radiological marker of risk.