Multiple sclerosis
Esclerose múltipla
CategoryDefinition
The diagnosis of MS should be made on clinical grounds with input from imaging and other paraclinical studies. The clinical phenotype may be assessed based on current status and historical clinical and paraclinical data, with the understanding that this can be a dynamic process and that the subtype on the initial assessment may change over time.
Diagnostic Criteria
Signs and symptoms
Multiple Sclerosis can cause a wide variety of symptoms reflecting the involvement of the affected part of the central nervous system, including weakness or numbness in one or more limbs, tingling of the extremities and tight band like sensations around the trunk or limbs, transient loss of vision, diplopia, dysathria, ataxia, cognitive impairment and bladder, bowel and sexual dysfunction. The symptoms generally appear over hours or days and may last weeks before resolving. Other positive symptoms include L’hermitte’s phenomenon, a brief electrical sensation radiating down the back into the legs precipitated by neck flexion.