2017 revisions of McDonald criteria shorten the time to diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in clinically isolated syndromes

• Published in: Journal of neurology 2018-11, Vol.265 (11), p.2684-2687
• Main Authors: Gaetani, Lorenzo, Prosperini, Luca, Mancini, Andrea, Eusebi, Paolo, Cerri, Maria Chiara, Pozzilli, Carlo, Calabresi, Paolo, Sarchielli, Paola, Di Filippo, Massimiliano
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biomarkers - cerebrospinal fluid; Demyelinating Diseases - diagnosis; Demyelinating Diseases - drug therapy; Demyelination; Diagnosis; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Immunologic Factors - therapeutic use; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Multiple sclerosis; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Original Communication; Retrospective Studies; Revisions; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0340-5354; 1432-1459
• DOI: 10.1007/s00415-018-9048-8

Objectives To investigate the impact of the 2017 revisions of McDonald criteria on the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a cohort of patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and dissemination in space (DIS) of demyelinating lesions. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 137 patients with CIS + DIS from two Italian MS centers. Results Application of the 2017 revisions of McDonald criteria in our cohort led to a diagnosis of MS in 82.5% of the patients who could have not been diagnosed with MS according to the previous criteria at the time of the first demyelinating event. After a follow-up of 3.8 ± 2.9 years, 85.8% of these patients eventually satisfied also the previous (2010) criteria. Conclusions Application of the 2017 revisions of McDonald criteria results in an earlier diagnosis of MS in a large percentage of CIS patients destined to convert to MS.