Multiple sclerosis (MS) dominates neurological practice in many parts of the world. This is no doubt because it is a common disorder which favours the young.The typical form, relapsing remitting MS (RRMS), is often easy to recognise and diagnose. The are however other types and variants such as primary progressive MS (PPMS), which often pose a challenge to neurologists to pin down.
There is no single clinical symptom or sign that is pathognomonic of MS. Some presentations are red flags for MS, such as optic neuritis (ON) and transverse myelitis (TM). Many other MS symptoms and syndromes are however non-specific. The ways MS presents are diverse, and below is a list of the 50 different faces of MS. If you want to explore any of these, you will find links to our extensive MS and other neuroinflammatory checklists at the end of the blog post.
Ophthalmological features
Optic neuritis
Diplopia
Nystagmus
Internuclear ophthalmoplegia (INO)
Uhthoff’s phenomenon
Pulfrich phenomenon
Horner’s syndrome
Movement disorders
Ataxia
Tremor
Tonic spasms
Restless legs syndrome
Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD)
Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD)
Propriospinal myoclonus
Cerebral features
Memory impairment
Executive dysfunction
Encephalopathy
Seizures
Sleep disorders
Foreign accent syndrome
Headache
Cranial nerve disorders
Trigeminal neuralgia
Olfactory dysfunction
Taste dysfunction
Neuro-otological features
Vertigo
Dizziness
Hyperacusis
Autonomic and endocrine features
Incontinence
Constipation
Impaired libido
Erectile dysfunction
Male infertility
Panhypopituitarism
Bulbar and pseudobulbar features
Dysphagia
Dysarthria
Pathological laughter
Pathological crying
Spinal cord features
Transverse myelitis (TM)
Spastic paraparesis
Lhermitte’s phenomenon
Neuropsychiatric features
Depression
Psychosis
Sensory and temperature disturbances
Pain
Sensory impairment
Paroxysmal attacks
Radicular symptoms
Heat sensitivity
Episodic hypothermia
Sleep-related disorders
Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS)
Insomnia
Sleep-related breathing disorder (SRBD)
Secondary narcolepsy
REM sleep behaviour disorder
Systemic features
Respiratory impairment
Neurogenic pulmonary oedema
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy
Neurogenic stunned myocardium
Myocardial infarction
Fatigue
MS variants
Tumefactive MS
Balo’s concentric sclerosis
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MS related Neurochecklists
Primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS)
Other neuroinflammatory checklists
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
Anti TNF alpha demyelination syndromes
Neurosarcoidosis
Neuro Sweet syndrome
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)
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To explore these and many other comprehensive neurology checklists…
Go online at Neurochecklists.com
Or get the book, 700 Essential Neurology Checklists
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