Yes, Ted. I think there are some international established MS diagnosis criteria: usually it's the lumbar puncture (colloquially known as a spinal tap) with MRI of brain and spinal cord that is used as "proof" for MS.fiddler wrote:Is there such a thing as "proven" MS? It seems to me that diagnoses of MS are usually made on the preponderance of evidence, not on the basis of any unequivocal test. Given what I have heard before and seen here from many postings, there may be a fair % of people diagnosed with MS who may, in fact, have another de-myelinizing disease, and perhaps other times when de-myelization is not the first or major way that what is defined as "MS" presents itself.
...Ted
With lumbar puncture you can see certain oligoclonal bands of immunoglobulins, which are - it is said - only present in MSers. The proof via this exam, together with MRI and other, is at least required in Belgium to get prescription for the expensive MS drugs.