MRI differential diagnosis of suspected multiple sclerosis

Diagnosing multiple sclerosis (MS) can be very challenging owing to its variable clinical features and lack of a definitive test. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a core diagnostic tool in the detection of MS lesions and demonstration of spatial and temporal distribution of disease. Moreover, MRI plays a crucial role in the exclusion of alternative diagnoses of MS. The aim of this review is to describe the typical MRI features of MS and to present a series of common mimics of MS with emphasis on their distinguishing features from MS.