MS Symptoms Explained as Christina Applegate Shares Misdiagnosis

Christina Applegate recently revealed that her multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms were initially misdiagnosed, raising questions about how the disorder is identified. Philip L. De Jager, MD, PhD, the Weil-Granat Professor of Neurology and Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, spoke with Newsweek about how doctors determine whether a patient has MS.

“MS remains a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning that there is no single test that definitively establishes the diagnosis,” Dr. De Jager said.

“A neurologist will integrate a patient’s history and the results of laboratory and magnetic resonance imaging tests to determine the most likely diagnosis given the available information,” he explained, adding, “As a result, it is important to seek at least one opinion from a specialized MS center on the diagnostic evaluation and on the selection of a therapeutic plan.” [read more]
Also covered by BBC