A23. Multiple sclerosis Flashcards
Multiple sclerosis Definition
Chronic, progressive, multifocal, autoimmune inflammatory disease of the CNS.
Multiple sclerosis is more common in which gender
Women:men = 2:1
age onset of Multiple sclerosis
Disease of young adult, starts in 30-40s
in n which region is Multiple sclerosis more frequent
More frequent in the northern hemisphere
etiology of Multiple sclerosis
A. Genetic susceptibility: HLA, some increased risk in relatives
B. Environmental factors: Viruses, geographic latitude (more towards the poles), vitamin D
Environmental factors that could cause Multiple sclerosis
- Viruses,
- geographic latitude (more towards the poles),
- vitamin D
pathology Multiple sclerosis
- T-cells are activated in the periphery, then cross-react with parts of myelin in the CNS →
Demyelination and secondary axon degeneration.
The demyelinated regions are called plaques.
● Active plaques are characterized by blood-brain barrier dysfunction, perivascular infiltration of
lymphocytes and plasma cells and segmental demyelination.
● In chronic plaques, scar tissue is formed (sclerosis) due to astrocyte proliferation
Active plaques in multiple sclerosis are characterized by
- blood-brain barrier dysfunction,
- perivascular infiltration of lymphocytes and plasma cells
- and segmental demyelination.
what happens In chronic plaques that occur in multiple sclerosis
scar tissue is formed (sclerosis) due to astrocyte proliferation
what is meant by plaques in multiple sclerosis
The demyelinated regions are called plaques
(T-cells are activated in the periphery, then cross-react with parts of myelin in the CNS →
Demyelination and secondary axon degeneration)
Pathological types of multiple sclerosis
a. T-cell and macrophage mediated inflammation
b. B-cell and complement mediated inflammation
c. Oligodendrocyte destruction, axonal lesion
d. Primary oligodendrocyte dystrophy
Main points about Multiple sclerosis
- Demyelination
- Inflammation
- Secondary axonal damage
- Inflammatory processes → Relapses
- Secondary axonal damage → Brain atrophy → Deficits (delayed manifestation)
Secondary axonal damage in multiple sclerosis leads to
→ Brain atrophy → Deficits (delayed manifestation)
Possible symptoms of Multiple sclerosis
- Optic neuritis - Blurry vision, pain on movement, often first sign
- Sensory - Paresthesias, numbness, tingling, always distribution specific for central cause
- Motor symptoms - Paraparesis, hemiparesis, monoparesis, tetraparesis
- Brainstem symptoms - Gaze palsy, internuclear ophthalmoplegia (INO), trigeminal pain
-
Cerebellar symptoms - Limb/trunk ataxia, dysarthria, nystagmus, tremor, coordination/balance
problem - Autonomic symptoms - Urge incontinence (detrusor hyperactivity), detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia
- Cognitive symptoms, subcortical dementia
-
Paroxysmal symptoms (may occur several hundred times a day, short duration) - Lhermitte’s
sign, trigeminal neuralgia, dystonia, hemiataxia - Aspecific symptoms - Fatigue, depression
which tracts are involved in multiple sclerosis?
which are more affected?
May involve all tracts of CNS, but longer tracts are more affected.
which symptom often manifests first in multiple sclerosis
Optic neuritis -
* Blurry vision
* pain on movement
often first sign
Sensory symptoms in multiple sclerosis
- Paresthesias,
- numbness,
- tingling,
- always distribution specific for central cause