How Does MRI Fit into the MS Diagnostic Picture

Two large clinical trials have demonstrated benefits of new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) when given after even a single symptomatic episode in patients with MRI-detected evidence of prior occult disease ( N Engl J Med 2000; 343:898, and Lancet 2001; 357:1576). As a result, the diagnostic emphasis has shifted away from the traditional concept of clinical dissemination in time and space, toward MRI-based assessment. To describe MRI criteria for MS, a panel of experts chaired by E.M. …