Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most important tool for diagnosing multiple sclerosis (MS). However, MRI is still unable to precisely quantify the specific pathophysiological processes that underlie imaging findings in MS. Because autopsy and biopsy samples of MS patients are rare and biased towards a chronic burnt-out end or fulminant acute early stage, the only available methods to identify human disease pathology are to apply MRI techniques in combination with subsequent histopathological examination to small animal models of MS and to transfer these insights to MS patients. This review summarizes the existing combined imaging and histopathological studies performed in MS mouse models and humans with MS (in vivo and ex vivo), to promote a better understanding of the pathophysiology that underlies conventional MRI, diffusion tensor and magnetization transfer imaging findings in MS patients. Moreover, it provides a critical view on imaging capabilities and results in MS patients and mouse models and for future studies recommends how to combine those particular MR sequences and parameters whose underlying pathophysiological basis could be partly clarified. Further combined longitudinal in vivo imaging and histopathological studies on rationally selected, appropriate mouse models are required.

中文翻译：

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在小鼠和男性中进行成像：常规和高级MRI技术对多发性硬化症的病理生理学见解。

磁共振成像（MRI）是诊断多发性硬化症（MS）的最重要工具。但是，MRI仍无法精确量化构成MS影像学发现基础的特定病理生理过程。由于MS患者的尸检和活检样本很少，并且偏向于慢性倦怠末期或暴发性急性早期，因此，唯一可用于识别人类疾病病理的方法是将MRI技术与随后的组织病理学检查相结合，用于小动物模型MS并将这些见解传递给MS患者。这篇综述总结了在MS小鼠模型和患有MS的人类（体内和离体）中进行的现有影像学和组织病理学综合研究，以增进对传统MRI的病理生理学的了解，MS患者的弥散张量和磁化转移成像结果。此外，它提供了对MS患者和小鼠模型的成像能力和结果的批判性观点，并为将来的研究提出了如何结合那些特定的MR序列和可以部分阐明其潜在病理生理基础的参数的建议。需要在合理选择的适当小鼠模型上进一步组合纵向体内成像和组织病理学研究。