Is CIS the same as MS?

When someone experiences a single demyelinating or inflammatory attack of the central nervous system that causes neurological symptoms resembling MS, it is called clinically isolated syndrome, or CIS. Here are some common questions about CIS and how it is distinguished from other forms of MS.

Is CIS the same as MS?

According to updated recommendations redefining the phenotypes of MS made in 2014, CIS is considered an official form of MS. However, not everybody who experiences an episode of CIS will go on to develop full-blown multiple sclerosis.

How does CIS resemble other forms of MS?

An episode of CIS includes neurological symptoms that last for 24 hours or longer and are caused by inflammation or demyelination within the central nervous system (CNS). Myelin is the fatty substance that surrounds and protects nerves. Myelin helps to speed messages along nerves, and a loss of myelin serves to slow down the messages or keep them from getting through in the first place. A place where inflammation has attacked the myelin is called a lesion. The effects of demyelination are the same for each form of MS.

An attack of CIS can be monofocal — involving a single symptom related to a single lesion — or multifocal — involving more than one symptom caused by lesions in different locations in the CNS. The CNS includes the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. An episode of CIS is often followed by complete or partial recovery.

How is CIS diagnosed?

Similar to other diseases of the central nervous system, diagnosis of CIS may include laboratory tests to eliminate other potential causes of symptoms, a complete neurological exam to access function of the nerves, a thorough medical history, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look for evidence of inflammation or demyelination within the CNS. Depending upon symptoms, the recommended MRI given at this stage of diagnosis may only include the brain and not the spinal cord.

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What Is Clinically Isolated Syndrome?