Multiple Sclerosis Flashcards
MS
Autoimmune disease that attacks myelinated axons in CNS
Diagnosis
Neurological symptoms/previous neurologic episode lasting at least 24 hours
Symptoms
Sensory/motor- 1/3 patients have arm + leg numbness/tingling
Useless hand syndrome
Vision blurriness/loss, diplopia
Slow progressive/subacute motor deficits
MRI characteristics
T2/Flair lesion spread out in space
Brain atrophy
Diagnostic criteria
Neurological symptoms need to occur in more than 1 space in CNS
AND
Needs to be a chronic condition
Lumbar
Compares components of CSF to plasma
Measures Neurofilaments- if high, indicative of ongoing nerve loss
Relapsing- remitting MS
Attack will occur but will go back to baseline
Most common
Secondary-progressive MS
If relapse- remitting not treated, will become progressive
Primary-progressive MS
Patient never relapses and becomes progressively worse
Progressive-relapsing
Between relapses, disease will get worse
MS Pathology
Axons still present but no myelin around them
Active Lesion
Lymphocyte infiltration around blood vessel
Pre-Active lesion
Activated microglia + myelin loss
Chronic active lesion
Lymphocyte spread out around lesion
Macrophages engulf myelin + sit on lesion edge
Chronic inactive lesion
Attempt at remyelination
Astrocytic scar
