title: Evolution of diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Multiple sclerosis is a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that occurs primarily in young adults. There is no single diagnostic test to recognize the disease. The diagnostic criteria, based on clinical examination and laboratory tests, have changed considerably over time. The first guidelines involved only the results of the patient's neurological examination. The diagnostic criteria developed by Poser in 1983 were based largely on the results of additional tests, including visual evoked potentials and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid. The McDonald criteria, developed in 2001 and updated in 2005 and 2010, reflected the diagnostic breakthrough caused by widespread use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Currently, the diagnosis depends largely on the results of the MRI examination. An early diagnosis is particularly important for starting disease-modifying treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Przybek
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: neuro2@ipin.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gniatkowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; 2nd Department of Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: dmirowska@wum.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Dagmara
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mirowska-Guzel
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; 2nd Department of Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: czlonkow@ipin.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Członkowska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003943:Diagnostic Techniques, Neurological / Q000639:trends*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D059906:Neuroimaging; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D043025:Oligoclonal Bands / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D063189:Symptom Assessment
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D043025:Oligoclonal Bands
keywords: MRI; McDonald criteria; Multiple sclerosis; Poser criteria