TABLE 1.

Synopsis of the Role of UHF MRI (ie, MRI at 7-T Static Magnetic Field Strength) to Detect Pathologic Hallmarks of MS

MS Pathology	Role of UHF (7 T) MRI
Gray matter pathology	Increased detection of cortical MS lesions compared with 3 T Improved classification of cortical lesions compared with 3 T Potentially higher sensitivity to detect subcortical gray matter MS pathology (scarce evidence)
White matter pathology	Currently, at worst similar sensitivity to detect white matter lesions
CVS	Offers superior conspicuity of veins, enhancing evaluation of the CVS in more difficult MS cases, eg, with only small lesions
LME	Insights into LME pathology, eg, patterns of LME (“nodular” versus “spread/fill”) Unclear if higher sensitivity to detect LME compared with 3 T (no comparative studies)
Focal/diffuse iron deposition	Insights into iron pathophysiology, eg, iron tissue content
Spinal cord pathology	Improved sensitivity to detect spinal cord MS lesions (scarce evidence) Major technical challenges for spinal cord imaging at UHF remain, eg, susceptibility effects or motion artifacts

UHF, ultra-high-field; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; MS, multiple sclerosis; CVS, central vein sign; LME, leptomeningeal inflammation.