When confronted by a patient with the radiologically isolated syndrome.
As MRI becomes ever easier to access, it is clear that there is a group of patients, scanned for a wide range of symptoms, where the imaging looks inflammatory, despite the discordance with the clinical presentation. This is the so-called radiologically isolated syndrome, which can be a source of anxiety and difficulty for both patient and clinician. The evidence for its relationship to the clinically isolated syndrome and therefore to multiple sclerosis is presented, and I will describe a pragmatic approach to managing the situation.
Chataway
Jeremy
J
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust, Queen Square, London, UK. jeremychataway@gmail.com
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D008579:Meningioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology; D013577:Syndrome