2013 Consensus Guidelines on Multiple Sclerosis Disease Subtype Definitions

Updates to standardized descriptions from 1996 include the addition of “active” and “progressed” descriptors.

Sponsoring Organization: The U.S. National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), The European Committee for Treatment and Research in MS, and The MS Phenotype Group

Background and Objective

In 1996, an NMSS Advisory Committee codified four clinical disease courses of multiple sclerosis (MS): relapsing remitting (RR), secondary progressive (SP), primary progressive (PP), and progressive relapsing (PR). Now, the group has removed the uncommon PR subcategory and added individual disease activity modifiers to the three remaining courses.

Key Points

Annual magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recommended for those with RRMS to detect subclinical disease activity.
Clinically isolated syndrome — early MS that has not yet disseminated in time — is now forma…

Reviewing Author

Robert T. Naismith, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardAlexion Pharmaceuticals; Amgen; Astoria; Biogen; Bristol Myers Squibb; Celltrion; Genentech; Hoffmann-La Roche; Genzyme; EMD Serono; Immpact-Bio; Immunic Therapeutics; Kyverna; Lundbeck; Novartis; Sandoz; TG Therapeutics

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health; National Multiple Sclerosis Society; U.S. Department of Defense

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesConsortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (Treasurer)