MS Diagnosis Criteria - What Do Doctors Look For When Diagnosing MS?

It can be very difficult for any physician to diagnose a patient with the disease multiple sclerosis. The type of damage that the disease does to the central nervous system can cause symptoms that can be reminiscent of many other neurological problems. In order to make it easier to present such a diagnosis the medical community has developed a set of MS diagnosis criteria that gives physicians the highest chance of detecting the disease at the earliest possible stage.

Initial MS Diagnosis Criteria

Over the years as research has been done the basic MS diagnosis criteria has changed to a certain degree with an eye to making it easier for physicians to catch symptoms that may seem innocuous on their own, but when put together form a pattern that can lead to early diagnosis and treatment. These criteria according to the latest information available from the MS Society of America are:

1. At least two exacerbations with a period of on e month or more between them and physical evidence of two or more lesions.

2. Two or more exacerbations with one confirmed lesion. However an MRI that shows proof of the lesion a spinal tap that results in a positive finding.

3. A single attack and 2 or more lesions as found by an MRI.

4. A single attack and 1 lesion (known as a monosymptomatic presentation) along with an MRI and a positive spinal fluid test.

5. Obvious signs that the symptoms are getting progressively worse. However this must be combined with a positive cerebro spinal fluid test and MRI evidence of multiple lesions.

Other MS Diagnosis Criteria

While the above list includes the official MS diagnosis criteria, there are many symptoms that can be indicative of the disease. Part of the problem with diagnosing multiple sclerosis is that no two people seem to exhibit quite the same symptoms at any given point in the progression. Among the more common symptoms recognized and used to recommend a patient for further testing are visual acuity problems, uncontrollable muscle spasms, weakness in one or more limbs, problems with balance and numbness or tingling in one or more limbs.

These symptoms are among the very first criteria for MS diagnosis and are used by many doctors to recommend that a patient seek further testing. This testing will most likely include blood tests to rule out many other problems whose symptoms mimic those of multiple sclerosis. An MRI of both your head and spinal cord to see if there are any lesions and an evoked response test to see how your brain responds to certain stimuli and whether or not there is any impairment evident.

There is no one single test for MS and the criteria for MS diagnosis leave room for individual diagnosis, but are specific enough to give medical professionals the highest possible chance of catching this disease at the earliest stage. The early it can be diagnosed the more likely a person is to be successful in getting the treatment they need.