Study Shows Misdiagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis is Common
Many of the symptoms of MS can mimic other conditions, such as stroke, migraines, and vitamin B12 deficiency.
A new study found that approximately 18% of patients were misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) before being referred to 2 major Los Angeles medical centers for treatment.
Many of the symptoms of MS can mimic other conditions, such as stroke, migraines, and vitamin B12 deficiency, which can make it difficult to accurately diagnose the condition. Often, providers must rule out other potential diagnoses first.
The study, which was published in
, examined the incidence of MS misdiagnosis referred to 2 academic MS referral centers, common alternate diagnoses, and factors associated with misdiagnosis. The researchers, led by Marwa Kaisey, MD, and Nancy Sicotte, MD, interim chair of Neurology and director of the Cedars-Sinai Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center, analyzed 241 patients who had been diagnosed by other physicians and referred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center or the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) MS clinics over the course of 1 year.
A version of this article was originally published by Specialty Pharmacy Times. VisitSpecialtyPharmacyTimes.comto view the full article.
Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders
