Pulsed IVMP seems to stop lesions from merging, expanding

Here's an interesting drug study result -- regular pulses of intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) appear to prevent small lesions from growing and combining into bigger ones. This study involved 88 subjects divided into two groups, one receiving five-day pulses of IVMP every four to six months for five years, and the other receiving these pulses only for relapses.

At the end of the five years, the relapse-only group had significantly more "confluent" T2 lesions than the regular-pulse group (270 vs. 105) as well as more lesions > 10 mm in size (541 vs. 165). However, the regular-pulse group had more small, individual T2 lesions (1082 vs. 288). No significant differences were seen in overall T2 lesion volume. It would be interesting to know what the IVMP is doing to prevent the expansion/merging of these lesions and whether this will translate into any clinical effect.