Features distinguishing multiple sclerosis from age related and vascular causes in MRI
| Multiple sclerosis | Ischaemia/age |
| Periventricular distribution | White and grey matter lesions including basal ganglia |
| Ovoid lesions long axis 90° to plane of lateral ventricles/point to cortex | |
| Subcortical lesions involve U fibres | |
| Infratentorial lesions (brainstem/cerebellum) | |
| Corpus callosum lesions typical | Corpus callosum lesions rare |
| Spinal cord lesions common | Spinal cord lesions rare |