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Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1994 Apr;57(4):491–496. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.57.4.491

British Isles survey of multiple sclerosis in twins: MRI.

J W Thorpe 1, C J Mumford 1, D A Compston 1, B E Kendall 1, D G MacManus 1, W I McDonald 1, D H Miller 1
PMCID: PMC1072882  PMID: 8164002

Abstract

64/105 subjects who have a twin with multiple sclerosis included in a study of clinical concordance also underwent MRI of the brain. 8/23 monozygotic and 1/41 dizygotic co-twins from this subgroup were clinically concordant of whom 8/9 had MRI appearances typical of multiple sclerosis. Of the 48 clinically discordant twins aged less than 60, abnormalities on MRI were detected in 6/15 (40%) monozygotic and 13/33 (39%) dizygotic twins compared with 7/37 (19%) healthy age-matched controls. Abnormalities on MRI typical of multiple sclerosis (defined by the Fazekas criteria) were, however, present in only 2/15 (13%) monozygotic and 3/33 (9%) dizygotic twins and 0/37 controls. These results suggest that about 10% of monozygotic and dizygotic twins have "subclinical multiple sclerosis". It is likely that most of the MRI abnormalities seen in clinically discordant twins, however, represent incidental pathology.

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Selected References

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