Avtor/Urednik		Kambič-Budkovič, M
Naslov		Clinical characteristics of the benign form of multiple sclerosis
Tip		članek
Vir		In: Vodušek DB, editor. Proceedings of the Symposium on multiple sclerosis with the 11th dr. Janez Faganel memorial lecture; 1995 Oct 6-7; Ljubljana. Ljubljana: University institute of clinical neurophysiology,
Leto izdaje		1995
Obseg		str. 62-5
Jezik		eng
Abstrakt		It may be a matter of discussion what is believed to be a benign or a malignant form of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a strictly scientific sense. But to tell a patient that he has MS and at the same time not to give him the belief of a possibility of a mild course of the disease would be a vitium artis. But which signs might indicate a favourable prognosis, what treatment and what way of life might be helpful? The paper present several clinical aspects of 12 Slovene patients (5 females, 7 males) suffering from a benign form of MS. In all of them the disease ran a relapsing-remittent course, in 5 it became progressive after 21-46 years. Eight patients live in their place of birth, the rest in other places in Slovenia. Nine of them claimed not to have suffered from frequent respiratory infections before MS appeared, nor afterwards. The initial symptoms in 4 were paresthesias, in 3 optic neuritis, in 3 limb weakness (paresis), in 1 double vision and in 1 peripheral facial nerve lesion. In 6 the initial symptoms were treated symptomatically, in 3 with corticothropin and in another 3 with corticosteroides. Having been informed about their disease, 8 patients changed their way of life by partly limiting their activities and following their doctors' advice. In 4 of them the disease was so mild that a change of life was not necessary (except during the crises). Eleven were married - they all considered their marriage good. Included are CSF and other laboratory and neuroimaging findings. The development of MS is impossible to predict. Paresthesias, limb pareses and optic neuritis appear to be relatively favourable initial symptoms. A happy marriage, a peacefull life and the patient's accepting the disease may contribute to a milder course. The frequency and rarity of respiratory infections seem to be proportionate to the malignant and benign course of MS respectively.
Deskriptorji		MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AGE OF ONSET