Diagnosing MS: Updates to the McDonald Criteria

Target Population: Patients with a clinically isolated syndrome suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS)

Background and Objective

An international group of experts has revised the 2010 McDonald MS criteria.

Key Points

The 2017 criteria continue to permit dissemination in space (DIS) with as few as two lesions in two locations (periventricular, juxtacortical, infratentorial, spinal cord). Changes to DIS include:

• Cortical lesions are now included and considered equivalent to juxtacortical lesions.

• Symptomatic spinal cord or brainstem lesions can count toward DIS.

The criteria continue to permit dissemination in time (DIT) with a gadolinium-enhancing (Gd+) lesion at onset or …