[Comment] Diagnosing multiple sclerosis: art and science

When asked by a trainee how he knew that an acutely ill patient had multiple sclerosis, Harvard neurologist Raymond D Adams quipped: “How does a farmer know his sheep?” The parallel between a farmer's intuition and a clinician's judgment was apt. This anecdote is from the mid-1970s, when no therapies for multiple sclerosis existed, and clinical diagnosis relied on recognition of the phenotype and exclusion of mimics. Direct t issue examination, usually at autopsy, was the true gold standard for diagnosis.

Source: Lancet Neurology - December 21, 2017 Category: Neurology Authors: Riley M Bove, Stephen L Hauser Tags: Comment Source Type: research