Small internal jugular veins with restricted outflow are associated with severe multiple sclerosis: a sonographer-blinded, case–control ultrasound study

Table 2 Characteristics of patients with MS according to CCSVI status

Parameter	Patients (n =67)		Controls (n =21)		p
	CCSVI-	CCSVI+	CCSVI-	CCSVI+
n (%)	59 (88.1)	8 (11.9)	21(100)	0 (0)	0.1*
Female/male (%)	49.2/50.8	50.0/50.0	33.3/66.7	0/0	ns*
Age at onset (years ± SD)	27.5 ± 7.2	29.1 ± 9.7	-		0.6^#
Disease duration (years ± SD)	8.4 ± 5.9	14.4 ± 6.5	-		0.01^#
Disease course, n (%)			-		0.12*
CIS	5 (8.5)	0
RR	38 (64.4)	3 (37.5)
CP	16 (27.1)	5 (62.5)
Total	59 (100)	8 (100)
MSSS (mean ± SD)	5.2 ± 2.2	7.4 ± 1.4	-		0.008^#
EDSS (mean ± SD)	3.6 ± 2.0	5.85 ± 1.8			0.007^#

CCSVI: chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency; CIS: clinically isolated syndrome; RR: relapsing-remitting; CP: chronic progressive (including secondary progressive and primary progressive); MSSS: Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score; EDSS: Expanded Disability Status Scale; * χ ²; ^# ANOVA; values represent the means ± SD; ns: non-significant.

ISSN: 1471-2377