CCSVI - another study; dare I say negative or independent?

Epub ahead of printBaracchini et al. Progressive multiple sclerosis is not associated with chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency. Neurology. 2011 Aug 17. 

Objective: CCSVI could represent a late phenomenon of MS or be associated with progression of disability. Thus, these investigators studied CCSVI prevalence in primary progressive (PP) and secondary progressive (SP) MS, to clarify whether CCSVI characterizes the progressive forms of this disease.

Methods: A total of 35 MS'ers with SPMS, 25 patients with PPMS, and 60 age- and gender-matched normal controls (NC) were enrolled into a cross-sectional study. Extracranial and transcranial high-resolution venous echo color Doppler sonography (ECDS-TCDS) was performed in all MS'ers and NC. Those MS'ers having any abnormal ultrasound finding were asked to undergo selective venography (VGF).

Results:
TCDS was normal in all MS'ers. 

ECDS showed one or more abnormal findings in 9/60 (15.0%) MS'ers (7/35 [20.0%] SPMS, 2/25 [8.0%] PPMS) and in 14/60 (23.3%) NC (p not significant for all comparisons). 

CCSVI criteria were fulfilled in 0 NC and 4 (6.7%) patients with MS: 3 SPMS and 1 PPMS. 

VGF, performed in 6/9 patients, was abnormal only in one case who had bilateral internal jugular vein stenosis.

Conclusion: Their findings indicate that CCSVI is not a late secondary phenomenon of MS and is not associated with disability.

"This study's findings are self-explanatory; no commentary is necessary."