What is multiple sclerosis ?

 
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic multifactorial demyelinating disease of the Central Nervous System. The cause of the disease   is still unknown. Multiple sclerosis most commonly affects people between the ages of 20 and 45, however, people can develop the disease at any age. Diagnosis is based on the revised McDonald diagnostic criteria (2010).

About 80 percent of multiple sclerosis patients develop onset of the disease with a pattern of relapses and remissions (Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis RRMS), followed by a secondary progressive form (Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis SPMS) with or without relapses (70 percent of patients).About 10-20% of patients present a progressive form of multiple sclerosis with slow decline (Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, (SPMS).Clinical manifestations of the disease include muscle weakness, paresthesias, visual disturbances, diplopia, nystagmus, dysarthria, tremor, ataxia, sensory and bladder disturbances.

Diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis:
1.Polman, CH; Reingold, SC; Banwell, B; Clanet, M; Cohen, JA; Filippi, M; Fujihara, K; Havrdova, E; Hutchinson, M; Kappos, L; Lublin, FD; Montalban, X; O'Connor, P; Sandberg-Wollheim, M; Thompson, AJ; Waubant, E; Weinshenker, B; Wolinsky, JS (February 2011). "Diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis: 2010 revisions to the McDonald criteria." Annals of neurology 69 (2): 292–302.