Multiple Sclerosis Essay

INTRODUCTION
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, directed against the myelin sheath. Leading to demyelination and axonal loss. It’s characterized by spread “plaques” of demielinization typically found in typically found on MRI in the periventricular region, corpus callosum, centrum semiovale and, to a lesser extent, deep white – structures and basal ganglia.(Olek, 2005)

The clinical picture of the disease is rich and variated. Usually it starts with motor symptoms together with visual disturbances. The later progression is depending on the part of the CNS affected. MS can present itself in several clinical courses with the relapsing remmitting beeing the most common in the begging. The secondary progressive course is a sequent and gives a much worse prognosis. The benign form, even though it’s not well defined, is usually a random find in MRI and no clinical symptoms. In the most severe cases MS can lead to death.

The etiology of the disease is not yet known. There is a discussion that there is action of one or more exogen factors, which after a long latent period trigger the disease in genetically receptive people. MS is characterized by a geographical and demographical spread, with frequency going up when moving away from the equator and again going down in the polar regions. Approximatly 30/100000 people have the disease globally.

This diploma thesis is made by two parts – teoretical and practical.

The theoretical part describes the newest findings of the pathogenesis, overview over the typical clinical picture, most common diagnostic methods, especially OCB investigation, and clasical and modern threatments of the disease.

The practical part is an investi...

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...of minutes but can reoccure many times a day. The group inculeds paroxysmal paresthesia, trigeminal neuralgia, painful tonic spasms, paroxysmal dysatrias and ataxias, paroxysmal diplopia, paroxusmal dyskinesia, facial myokymia. Here we can also include the symptom of Lhermitte.

11. Tiredness
Another of the common sympotms. Generally is described as tirdness not related to physical exaustion. There is no connection wit any muscle weakness and tiredness. There is lack of initiative for physical or mental activity, after rest there is only partial recovry. Patients even weak up tired. Usually this symptoms it’s felt during the afternoon, corelating with daily circadian rhytm.
4.2 Clinical Course

The disease has an unpredictable clinical course. This means it’s hard to give a prognosis in any single patient.
Even so, there is a clinical division used today.