Zipoli V, Hakiki B, Portaccio E et al.
University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Mult Scler 2009;15:472–8.
Editor’s note: Diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) can be challenging, especially in the early stages of the disease, while early identification has become more important due to extended therapy options and the positive effects of early treatment. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis was used to diagnose MS before magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) became available. However, during the development of diagnostic MS criteria from Poser to McDonald, and then later to revised McDonald criteria, CSF abnormalities have continually lost importance in comparison with MRI findings, and are no longer a requirement for MS diagnosis. Among CSF abnormalities, oligoclonal bands in CSF reflect a specific intrathecal immune reaction and represent a common, although unspecific, finding in MS patients. In the current study, the authors aimed to emphasize the importance of oligoclonal bands in MS diagnosis and to determine their diagnostic value in an unselected patient sample with suspected MS.