Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a non-contagious chronic disease of the brain and spinal cord characterized by a variety of neurologic symptoms caused by demyelination of neurons. Multiple sclerosis results from attack by a patient's own immune system on their central nervous system and is thus categorized as an autoimmune disease.

Disease course and clinical subtypes

The course of MS is difficult to predict at the onset of symptoms. Most people seek medical attention after a significant attack - whether the disease thereafter lies dormant or instead progresses steadily helps determine the clinical subtype. Subtypes simply describe the past course of the disease in an attempt to predict future outcomes. A patient who has been diagnosed with a particular subtype may switch, for unclear reasons, from one subtype to another over the course of their illness. Subtypes are important not only for prognosis, but also for therapeutic decisions. The United States National Multiple Sclerosis Society standardized subtypes in 1996 as follows:{{an|Lublin}}

Related Topics:
Symptoms - Medical - Predict - Diagnose - Prognosis - Therapeutic - United States - 1996

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• Relapsing-remitting

:Relapsing-remitting appropriately describes between 85% and 90% of patients in the initial years after diagnosis. It is characterized by unpredictable attacks (relapses) followed by periods (months to years) of relative quiet (remission) with no signs of new disease activity. Deficits suffered during the attacks may enjoy full recovery or may linger on as permanent damage.

Related Topics:
Relapses - Remission

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• Secondary progressive

:Secondary progressive describes around 80% of those with initial relapsing-remitting MS who at some point begin to have neurologic decline (whether new neurologic deficits, worsening cognitive function, or other features of MS) in between acute attacks without clear periods of remission. Secondary progressive is the most common type of MS and causes the greatest amount of disability.

Related Topics:
Cognitive - Disability

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• Primary progressive

:Primary progressive describes those 10% of patients who never have remission after their initial symptoms. Decline occurs continuously without clear attacks. Primary progressive tends to affect patients who are older at disease onset

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• Progressive relapsing

:Progressive relapsing describes those patients who have steady progression from onset but who also suffer superimposed attacks

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