Recommendations for diagnosis and management of multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating neurologic disorder that mainly affects young individuals (aged 20 to 50 years). Approximately 85% of patients experience an initial course with relapses and remissions (relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis). Guidelines for the management of MS should be focused on three main areas: (a) the diagnosis of MS; (b) treatment of relapses; and (c) long-term preventive treatment including clinical follow up, dose adjustment, drug switch, control of therapeutic efficacy, and disease progression. Diagnosis should be established according to clinical and paraclinical criteria. Discussion on therapeutic recommendations is focused on the disease-modifying agents in acute phases and drugs for long-term treatment and symptomatic treatment. Differential diagnoses must be taken into account on making the diagnosis of MS. Therefore, diagnosis of MS should be established on clinical and radiological diagnostic criteria, cerebrospinal fluid analysis and evoked potentials.