Laboratory-supported Multiple Sclerosis Research Articles

Olmsted County Revisited: A Second Look at MS-Related Disability

In this study, researchers revisited the question of the prevalence of clinically definite MS in the population of Olmsted County, Minnesota. They identified 201 patients (115 from the 1991 cohort [ Neurology 1994; 44:28]) with clinical and laboratory-supported MS, as defined by Poser criteria. Patients were interviewed and examined, if possible, to assess their level of disability, course of MS, and time to disease milestones, with the goal of determining the level of MS-related disability in …

Diagnosing MS: Comparing Poser and McDonald Criteria

Criteria for diagnosing multiple sclerosis (MS) have become progressively more complex since Schumacher and colleagues originally proposed a set of basic guidelines ( Ann N Y Acad Sci 1965; 122:552). Subsequently, the Poser committee emphasized the category of laboratory-supported MS based on finding oligoclonal bands or an elevated IgG index in the CSF ( Ann Neurol 1983; 13:227), and the McDonald international panel emphasized the ever-increasing importance of MRI in establishing the diagnosis ( Ann Neurol 2001; 50:121). The Poser and the McDonald …

Optic neuritis associated with multiple sclerosis in Koreans

There have been few reports on the visual prognosis of optic neuritis (ON) associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Asians, although previous reports have suggested a racial effect. Therefore, in this study we focused on the assessment of visual prognosis of ON associated with MS in Koreans. Sixteen Korean patients who were diagnosed with ON associated with MS between 1992 and 1998 were enrolled in this study. Two groups were identified: clinically diagnosed MS (CMS) and laboratory-supported MS (LSMS). Of the 16 patients, nine were CMS and seven were LSMS. All patients experienced recurrent ON; the patients with CMS tended towards more recurrent ON than those with LSMS (4.1:2.8). Visual acuity at the final follow-up was 20/40 or better in 33% of CMS and 70% of LSMS. Final visual acuity in Korean patients with ON associated with MS was worse than the result in other studies to date. One risk factor influencing visual outcome in ON associated with MS may be the recurrence of ON. These results have important clinical implications for the assessment of ON associated with MS in Asians.