CCSVI and Multiple Sclerosis: another confirmation from Poland

Alessandro Rasman

In the next issue of the journal Phlebology will be published the first results of the Polish study titled "Prevalence of extracranial venous abnormalities in multiple sclerosis patients", presented by Dr. Marian Simka during the 12th meeting of the European Venous Forum, held in Ljubljana (Slovenia) from 30 June to 3 July.

The aim of this study was to evaluate prevalence of CCSVI in unselected cohort of multiple sclerosis patients. There were assessed 586 patients with clinically defined multiple sclerosis. In all those patients catheter venography of extracranial veins draining the central nervous system: internal jugular veins, brachiocephalic veins and azygous vein was performed.

Venous anomalies were revealed in 563 of the cases (96.1%). Lesions in one vein were found in 43.5%, in two veins: 49.5% and in three veins: 3.1% of the patients. Pathologies in right internal jugular vein were found in 64.0% of the cases, left internal jugular vein: 81.7%, right brachiocephalic vein: 0%, left brachiocephalic vein: 1.0%, azygous vein: 4.9%.

The authors concluded that chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency was found to be highly associated with multiple sclerosis. Still, actual clinical relevance of this phenomenon remains to be established.

So this is a new confirmation of the hypothesis of a correlation between the MS and CCSVI, discovered in 2008 by Dr. Paolo Zamboni, Director of Vascular Diseases Center, University of Ferrara. And 'now desirable that neurologists collaborate with vascular experts to better define the clinical relevance of CCSVI in a logic of cooperation and not in contrast as happened in some cases.

Source:

http://www.europeanvenousforum.org/evf2011/12th_congress_sc_prog.htm

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