Researchers conducted a study to test the diagnostic accuracy of the International Panel on Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis' revised McDonald 2010 criteria for diagnosing MS, according to a study published in JAMA Neurosurgery.
The McDonald 2010 criteria was revised in 2017 and designed to make it easier to diagnose MS.
Here are four things to know:
1. The study comprised a 10-year analysis of data from 229 patients with clinically isolated syndrome at Rotterdam, Netherlands-based Erasmus MC between March 2016 and August 2016.
2. Patients had an MRI within three months of CIS symptoms. Those who were clinically required had a lumbar puncture.
3. Results showed sensitivity for the 2017 criteria was higher than for the 2010 criteria, but specificity was lower.
4. With the 2017 criteria, more MS diagnoses could be made at baseline. In the group with at least five-years of follow up, 33 percent of patients who were diagnosed as having MS with the 2017 criteria didn't experience a second attack during follow-up compared to the 23 percent when using the 2010 criteria.
Study authors concluded the 2017 criteria is associated with greater sensitivity but less specificity for a second attack compared to the 2010 criteria. Additionally, the revised data may lead to a higher number of MS diagnoses in patients with a less active disease course.