Abstract
Based upon a Dissertation on “Disseminated Sclerosis” given before the Society on Friday, 10th January 1958. Disseminated sclerosis is the commonest nervous disease in this country; in the north of Britain at least one in 1300 adults is affected. If any rational or successful therapy is to be introduced the cause must be found and I therefore propose briefly to discuss the main theories of its aetiology. Disseminated sclerosis is one of the primary demyelinating diseases (as opposed to those causing secondary demyelination such as infarcts) which can be defined as “diseases of the central nervous system showing destruction of myelin sheaths with relative sparing of axon cylinders and supportive tissues usually occurring in multiple foci.”
Highlights
Based upon a Dissertation on “Disseminated Sclerosis” given before the Society on Friday, 10th January 1958
If any rational or successful therapy is to be introduced the cause must be found and I propose briefly to discuss the main theories of its aetiology
Disseminated sclerosis is one of the primary demyelinating diseases which can be defined as “diseases of the central nervous system showing destruction of myelin sheaths with relative sparing of axon cylinders and supportive tissues usually occurring in multiple foci.”
Summary
Based upon a Dissertation on “Disseminated Sclerosis” given before the Society on Friday, 10th January 1958. Oligodendroglia are absent even in the earliest lesion, and studies have shown that, when viable, their processes encircle the myelin sheaths like ribbons and it is likely that the integrity of the myelin depends to a great extent on these cells They are the most sensitive cells in the C.N.S. and for this reason I would like to introduce the concept that the disappearance of these cells and perhaps demyelination is the response to the least noxious agent able to harm the C.N.S. all the demyelinating diseases could be considered as steps up the scale of destruction due to a variation in one of many possible factors, and it is interesting to note that in very acute disseminated sclerosis softening and liquefaction have occurred. Before leaving the infective theories it should be pointed out that the hypothetical organism need not liberate a demyelinating toxin or cause demyelination itself as the demyelination might be due to the endogenous release of a myelinolytic agent in response to some organismal irritation
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