[Cerebral atrophy in multiple sclerosis patients treated periodically with boluses of methylprednisolone]

Abstract

Introduction: In the last years advances in the treatment of the remittant and secondary progressive forms of the multiple sclerosis (MS) have taken place. In the primary progressive forms (PP) the side effects of potentially useful drugs prevent their use; in some studies an improvement of the evolution with the intravenous administration of periodic pulses of methylprednisolone (MP) has been observed.

Objective: To evaluate if periodic pulses of intravenous MP injected every 4-6 weeks increase the degree of cerebral atrophy of the patients with PP MS.

Patients and methods: We studied 11 patients with PP MS treated during 33 months with periodic pulses of intravenous MP. The degree of cerebral atrophy was evaluated in axial cuts of 10 mm of studies of magnetic resonance with the indices of Evans, bicaudate, bifrontal, frontal spears and bithalamic. The statistical evaluation of the results was made applying the test of Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney.

Results: There are not statistically significant differences in the degree of cerebral atrophy with any of the used indices.

Conclusions: Periodic pulses of intravenous MP do not accelerate the cerebral atrophy in patients with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis.