summary: The diagnosis of MS is based on the demonstration of dissemination in space and time of the inflammatory-demyelinating processes characteristic of MS. Over the recent years the diagnostic procedure has evolved and has been simplified, but still at present is quite complex. While before 2001 at least two relapses were required to diagnose MS, since then, the demonstration that new lesions have appeared on the MRI, by comparing two different scans performed in different moments after the first relapse, was enough to have the diagnosis of MS. The authors of this study have demonstrated that with just a single MRI scan of the brain, even performed very early after the first episode, the diagnosis of MS can be made, when certain features indicating dissemination in space and time are present. The results of this work are very important because they might lead to a simplification of the current diagnostic criteria for MS.

authors: Rovira A, Swanton J, Tintoré M, Huerga E, Barkhof F, Filippi M, Frederiksen JL, Langkilde A, Miszkiel K, Polman C, Rovaris M, Sastre-Garriga J, Miller D, Montalban X

source: Arch Neurol. 2009 May;66(5):587-92

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category: Imaging
category: Diagnosis

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