[Multiple sclerosis. An update with practical guidelines for ophthalmologists]

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most frequent chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. Mostly young adults present with a variety of different symptoms due to the multiple localisations of the inflammatory lesions. Up to one-third of MS patients experience symptoms of optic neuritis as the initial symptom. That is the reason why the ophthalmologist often is the first physician contacted by patients later on diagnosed with MS. Today, it is known that there is already a significant irreversible axonal loss in MS patients progressing from the beginning of the disease. Therefore early, diagnosis and application of available therapeutic options are necessary for the patient's benefit. The therapeutic aim in early immunomodulatory treatment is to decrease the number of relapses and to slow down the development of clinical disability. This interdisciplinary overview presents guidelines for the clinical routine: how to assess the individual risk of each patient and how to treat the patient in accordance with current pathogenic, diagnostic and therapeutic knowledge.