Education: defining the course of MS

Lublin  and Reingold. Defining the clinical course of multiple sclerosis: results of an international survey. National Multiple Sclerosis Society (USA) Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials of New Agents in Multiple Sclerosis. Neurology. 1996 Apr;46(4):907-11.


Recognizing the need for improved definitions, the National MS Society conducted a survey of physicians who specialized in treating MS. There was a consensus of opinion regarding the definitions of four subtypes of MS. The classification system was published in 1996: 
  1. Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS)
  2. Secondary Progressive MS (SPMS)
  3. Primary Progressive MS (PPMS) 
  4. Progressive relapsing MS (PRMS)





"As a result, these are only four subtypes of MS that are currently recognised. Unfortunately, there was no consensus regarding other definitions including chronic progressive, benign and malignant MS. Because the definition of these latter terms is unclear, their use is generally discouraged in scientific publications. This however does not get away from their use in clinical practice, for example the recent posts on fulminant and malignant MS."


Related posts of interest on this blog: 


26 Aug 2011
Fulminant MS can be accompanied by optic neuritis (ON); however a long interval between ON and the fulminant phase has not been reported. This is a case report of 30-year-old woman with a history of ON that occurred 1 ...
27 Aug 2011
The term fulminant is a carry-over from the pre disease-modifying therapy era. Most cases presenting with Marburg's variant of MS who treated promptly with appropriate therapies, respond to treatment, and can do very well. ...

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