Shedding greater light on the natural history and prevalence of multiple sclerosis

Abstract

This is the first in a series of articles giving a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the theory and practice of multiple sclerosis (MS). This article examines the natural history of multiple sclerosis. MS is an autoimmune, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with a complex and uncertain aetiology. MS was first described clinically by Jean-Martin Charcot in 1863 although the first documented case is thought to date back to the 14th century with an account of the life of St Lidwina. The cause of MS is unclear although it is known that genetic susceptibility in combination with exposure to certain environmental factors in childhood is required for someone to develop MS. The various studies exploring the epidemiology of MS and the possible environmental factors which have been implicated will be reviewed.