Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 6448 msfocusmagazine.org Medicine & Research MRI misinterpretation can complicate mis- diagnosis. Abnormalities that resemble those of MS show up on a scan for reasons other than MS, and nonspecific abnormalities may lead to a faulty diagnosis. The study identified patients misdiagnosed by both MS specialist neurologists and nonspecialists. The study was published online in the journal Neurology. Thrower – In the previous article, researchers showed thebenefitsofearlytreatment in MS. Treating MS early means diagnosing MS early. As we push to minimize the delays in diagnosing and treating MS, do we push too hard at times? The authors of this article show that we do. The challenge lies, in part, in the some- times nonspecific nature of MS symptoms. For example, fatigue is listed as the most com- mon and most severe MS symptom by many. Obviously, the list of medical conditions as- sociated with fatigue is lengthy. In addition, not every white spot on brain MRI is because of MS. Migraine headaches and vascular risk factors, such as hypertension, can also be associated with white matter changes on MRI. In the end, the accurate diagnosis of MS requires the right story, the right MRI findings, and an absence of a better explanation. Other tests, such as evoked potentials and spinal fluid examinations, may help too. In a perfect world, the diagnosis of MS would be straight forward. The world is rarely perfect. Some people may have a clinical history that is consistent with MS, but they have MRI and physical find- ings that may or may not be consistent with MS. Add to thatmixthefrustrationand/or fearthat the patient and family are experiencing because of the lack of a diagnosis and one can see how a misdiagnosis might occur. The implications of an incorrect MS diagnosis can be just as severe as those of a delayed correct diagnosis. Many of our MS therapies have significant side effects. The misdiagnosis of MS may also mean the missed diagnosis of another health condition that is treatable. In the end, the accurate diagnosis of MS requires the right story, the right MRI findings, and an absence of a better explanation.