What other conditions can be mistaken for MS?

How common is it to be misdiagnosed with MS?

There are nearly 1 million people in the United States living with the disease. And researchers now say nearly 20 percent of them are misdiagnosed. Most of them had another condition but had been treated for MS for years. “The diagnosis of MS is tricky.

How do you rule out MS?

Can MS be misdiagnosed on MRI?

Misinterpretation of abnormal MRI findings is a frequent contributor to misdiagnosis of MS. One study found that only 11% of patients who were referred to a MS subspecialty center based primarily on an abnormal MRI were subsequently diagnosed with MS.

Can a doctor misdiagnose MS?

Diagnosing multiple sclerosis is not always straightforward. Lead researcher Dr Marwa Kaisey said the cost of MS misdiagnosis to the patient is 'medically, psychologically and financially' significant. A new study has found that almost one in five patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) were misdiagnosed.

Dr Andrew Solomon Details Conditions Commonly Misdiagnosed as MS

What can mimic MS on MRI?

Some of the most common mimics include migraine and chronic cerebrovascular disease, according to Dr Schiess. Vasculitic autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Sjögren's syndrome can also result in white matter abnormalities on MRI.

Does white matter mean MS?

White Matter Consists Mainly of Nerve Fibers

In MS, the immune system attacks the myelin in the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. The attack causes inflammation that eventually leads to sclerosis, which is the medical term for scarring. (That's how MS got its name.)

Can anxiety symptoms mimic MS?

Unfortunately, anxiety causes many of the same symptoms as the early stages of MS. MS is one of the health issues that comes up most when those with anxiety search for their symptoms online, and millions of those with anxiety convince themselves that they might have MS.

Can Guillain Barre Syndrome be mistaken for MS?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) are diseases of the nervous system. They're not the same, but they do have a lot of similarities. Both MS and GBS are autoimmune diseases. This means they cause your body's immune system to attack its own tissues.

Can fibromyalgia be misdiagnosed for MS?

But despite some similarities, “for the most part, there is no mistaking symptoms of MS with fibromyalgia,” says Philip Cohen, MD, a rheumatologist, professor of medicine and professor of microbiology and immunology at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia.

How does MS affect your legs?

Over time, your muscles can get weaker and weaker. Some people with MS find that their muscles tire more easily than usual. For example, someone with MS might find that their legs might start to feel unstable or they may have trouble moving them after periods of exercise, like walking.

Can pinched nerves mimic MS?

It is also common for people and doctors to misattribute the initial symptoms of MS to something more benign, such as a pinched nerve or muscle strain. Sometimes a person may have the symptoms of MS for many years before he or she seeks medical attention and receives a correct diagnosis.

What were your first signs of MS?

What does MS neuropathy feel like?

Neuropathic pain happens from “short circuiting” of the nerves that carry signals from the brain to the body because of damage from MS. These pain sensations feel like burning, stabbing, sharp and squeezing sensations.

How do I know if I have fibromyalgia or MS?

MS can permanently damage your nerves. Fibromyalgia causes pain and stiffness all over your body, along with other symptoms. Doctors aren't sure what triggers it. They think it might have something to do with how your brain processes pain.

What is Miller Fisher syndrome?

Miller Fisher syndrome is a rare, acquired nerve disease that is considered to be a variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome. It is characterized by abnormal muscle coordination, paralysis of the eye muscles, and absence of the tendon reflexes. Like Guillain-Barré syndrome, symptoms may be preceded by a viral illness.

What is the difference between MS and CIDP?

Both multiple sclerosis and CIDP involve damage to the sheath that surrounds nerves, called myelin. But multiple sclerosis is a disease affecting the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. CIDP doesn't affect these areas of the body.

Do brain lesions always mean MS?

Although MRI is a very useful diagnostic tool, a normal MRI of the brain does not rule out the possibility of MS. About 5 percent of people who are confirmed to have MS do not initially have brain lesions evidenced by MRI.

Can MS show up in blood work?

While there is no definitive blood test for MS, blood tests can rule out other conditions that cause symptoms similar to those of MS, including lupus erythematosis, Sjogren's, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, some infections, and rare hereditary diseases.

Can a CT scan detect MS?

CT scans may be used to exclude other causes of neurologic impairment, but they have a low positive predictive value in the diagnosis of MS; thus, the false-negative rate is high.

What is the new blood test for MS?

There is a new blood test that may monitor multiple sclerosis disease activity better in clinically stable patients. The test is called sNfL (serum neurofilament). It measures the breakdown of a certain part of neurons, which occurs when multiple sclerosis is attacking the nervous system.

Can white matter lesions be nothing?

Studies have found that white matter lesions appear in some degree on brain scans of most older adults but less often in younger people. White matter lesions are among the most common incidental findings—which means the lesions have no clinical significance—on brain scans of people of any age.

What causes brain lesions other than MS?

Stroke, vascular injury, or impaired supply of blood to the brain is perhaps the leading cause of lesions on the brain. Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a disease where brain lesions are located in multiple sites of the brain.

What does early MS look like on MRI?

How does MS appear on an MRI scan? MS activity appears on an MRI scan as either bright or dark spots. Typical MS lesions tend to be oval or frame shaped. MS lesions can appear in both the brain's white and gray matter.

What is a differential diagnosis of MS?

The main differential diagnoses for MS include, but are not limited to, the following: Spinal cord neoplasms (eg, astrocytomas, ependymomas) Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) Schilder disease.