Diagnosis
What is the gold standard for diagnosing multiple sclerosis?
Hi,
! Do you mean in regards to testing? No single test is used to diagnose MS, but two important tests are the MRI or the lumbar puncture. People will not always need a lumbar puncture to diagnose MS, but it is the test frequently used when MRI results are inconclusive or if an individual cannot have an MRI (due to having a pacemaker, etc). The presence of lesions or lesion activities in two parts of the CNS (central nervous system) is considered a hallmark sign of MS. 
Here's two of my favorite lesions. They're named Mutt and Jeff. I haven't named the guys on the right yet.
Thanks,
, laughing is what keeps me and my sweetie sane.
To wit:
ME: Hey, check out my new MRI!
MY SWEETIE: Eww, looks like intestines.
ME: I know, right?
MY SWEETIE: I always thought you had shit for brains.
I'll show myself out ..., oh my. It's probably a good thing we can't post GIFS on this site; I have so many in mind!
Thanks for the chuckle.
Best, Erin, MultipleSclerosis.net Team Member.
Always Always Always get a second opinion. A year before I was dx with MS I had Guillian Barre. I had the MRI and the spinal tap. I took all my records to another doctor because I thought no way I’ve had both. I called a college with an MS clinic and got lucky to get in fairly quickly. The second doctor looked at my records, my MRI, and said absolutely you had both MS and Guillian Barre. In her 30yr career I was the first person that she had met that had both, I felt special (note the sarcasm). Lol
