Clinical features

Abstract

I. INTRODUCTION Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of central nervous system (CNS) white matter that causes clinical symptoms and signs by eliciting inflammation, local edema, and demyelination in the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. The disease afflicts persons almost worldwide, although with considerable epidemiological variation in incidence and prevalence rates. Women are more often affected than men, with ratios varying from 3:2 to 2:1 in various series (1,2). Young adults most frequently develop MS, but the disease may become evident at virtually any age.