A CIS MS patients experience is often the event that initiates a visit to the doctor’s office. CIS Multiple Sclerosis patients have must last at least 24 hours to be considered a clinically isolated syndrome. This episode is caused by demyelination of the nerve cells, which in turn creates inflammation of the myelin sheath. When this occurs, the episode can either be multifocal or monofocal. The difference between the two is the number of signs or symptoms the individual experiences during the attack. A multifocal episode tends to created many lesions in different areas of the central nervous system, while the monofocal episode usually causes the appearance of a single lesion.
A clinically isolated syndrome doesn’t always mean MS is present. Many individuals have a single episode and that’s it; nothing more. The doctor making the diagnosis will often consider whether or not the individual is thought to be high or low risk for MS. Someone who has a high risk of developing MS will be given an MRI scan where many lesions are present, while a low-risk individual will have the same type of scan, but no lesions are visible.
Treating clinically isolated syndromes could delay the diagnosis of MS. Four separate clinical trials were performed to test this theory; the Controlled High-Risk Subjects Avonex MS Prevention Study (CHAMPS), the Early Treatment of MS (ETOMS), the Betaseron in Newly Emerging MS for Initial Treatment (BENEFIT), and the PreCISe study. These studies brought about FDA approval for a few different drugs to be used for treating CIS episodes when they occur. The final ruling is still out on some clinical trials, but for the most part, it has been agreed upon that early treatment is helpful in preventing permanent disabilities caused by MS.
Accurately Diagnosing MS
Doctors have a series of tests which need to be run in order to successfully make a positive diagnosis of MS. These tests include the gathering of medical history, evoked potentials (EP), a neurological exam, the collection of cerebrospinal fluid, blood tests, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Due to the large number of MS symptoms that also mimic many other diseases, performing each of these tests is important. Without ruling out other illnesses, an individual could be diagnosed improperly. Delaying the treatment of MS could result in permanent disability.
Besides the numerous tests doctors must perform, a specific set of criteria are used to diagnose MS. The criteria were revised in 2005 and in 2010 to help doctors perform the process in a much more efficient manner.
