Diagnosis and clinical features of multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (Ms) is an inflammatory autoimmune neurodegenerative disease that can affect any part of the central nervous system and results in highly variable clinical symptoms. Ms patients may present with acute neurological events termed relapses, or with slowly worsening clinical symptoms overtime indicating progressive disease. The prevalence of Ms has increased over time and may be related to several environmental factors such as vitamin D deficiency, Epstein Barr virus exposure, and/or improved clinical diagnostic criteria and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. In this chapter, we review the most recent 2017 McDonald criteria for Ms diagnosis, recommendations on MRI surveillance, and the techniques currently recommended for clinical use. We also discuss some of the ethnic and racial disparities in Ms disease, delve into Ms pathophysiology, and briefly review the corresponding clinical MRI correlates.