Special types of multiple sclerosis
1. Big picture
“Special types of multiple sclerosis” is an older exam-style topic that includes atypical inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system. Some of these were historically grouped with MS, but modern neurology separates several of them from true MS.
The most important exam distinction:
Typical MS is a chronic CNS demyelinating disease with dissemination in space and time. Special variants/mimics may be acute, monophasic, fulminant, tumor-like, antibody-mediated, or restricted mainly to optic nerve and spinal cord.
The most important entities are:
- Tumefactive MS
- Marburg variant
- Baló concentric sclerosis
- Schilder disease
- Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
- Acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis / Weston-Hurst disease
- Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD / Devic disease)
- MOG-antibody associated disease, as a modern MS mimic
High-yield exam warning:
Neuromyelitis optica is not simply a type of MS and must not be treated as MS. It is usually antibody-mediated, often aquaporin-4 related, and MS drugs may be ineffective or harmful.
Unlock the rest of this topic
Subscribe to Neurology for $10/month and unlock all 231 topics — full exam-structured notes, the State Exam questions integrated into every topic, and the downloadable Anki deck. Cancel anytime.
- ✓All 231 Neurology topics, exam-structured
- ✓State Exam questions in every topic
- ✓Downloadable Anki deck (.apkg)
- ✓Cancel anytime
Already subscribed? Sign in