A 40-year-old with relapsing-remitting MS has MRI showing a lesion adjacent to the corpus callosum on sagittal FLAIR, oriented perpendicular to the ventricular surface. This is known as:
- A McConnell's sign
- B Dawson's fingers ✓
- C Lhermitte's sign
- D Paton's lines
Correct answer: B. Dawson's fingers
Explanation
Dawson's fingers are the classic MRI finding in multiple sclerosis — periventricular demyelinating plaques oriented perpendicularly to the long axis of the lateral ventricles (aligned along medullary veins), best seen on sagittal FLAIR as finger-like projections extending from the corpus callosum. They represent perivascular inflammation along small penetrating veins. Lhermitte's sign is a clinical symptom (electric shock sensation on neck flexion). McConnell's sign is a vascular sign for pituitary adenoma. Paton's lines are concentric retinal folds in raised ICP.
Reference: Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic Radiology, 7th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.