Multiple sclerosis and venous angioplasty for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency: a case control study with ten years follow-up with patients at their own control

Abstract

Progressive Neurological Diseases (PND) and Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have two terms in common: “progressive and chronic” and shortly mean that there is no definitive therapy, at the moment. The clinical aspects are built on symptoms, upon which the definition of “progression” is based and hence classified. Changement and worsening of symptoms, allow classification of the disease and adjustments are effectively an “up to date” of the disease itself. We here resume the ten-year survey of 482 Multiple Sclerosis (MS)-affected patients (314 females, 168 males; mean age =37.8), classified by their Neurology Physicians as Relapse-Remitting (RR), according to the Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), monitoring the parallel presence of CCSVI with clinical MS progression. Results are present from two homogeneous Relapse-Remitting MS groups of patients divided as “treated and non-treated for CCSVI” with vein angioplasty (vPTA). Furthermore, a Patient’s self-classification based upon symptoms in presence of CCSVI, up to now never implemented, was developed on the basis of both clinical and Duplex vascular issues.