[Units of multiple sclerosis in Spanish public hospitals: are they feasible and necessary?].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J A García Merino.
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A patient with ankylosing spondylitis developed a neurological disorder suggesting multiple sclerosis. An increased level of gammaglobulin was detected in the analysis of the cerebro spinal fluid. The response to steroid therapy, however, was unusual to that of multiple sclerosis since clinical manifestations disappeared shortly after, recurred some months later after discontinuance of the treatment, and subside again when the administration of corticosteroids was repeated. On the other hand, the patient developed an acute right peroneal neuritis with slowness of the conduction velocity. Although the association of a clinical picture resembling multiple sclerosis with ankylosing spondylitis has been reported, there are a few, and sometimes poorly documented, published cases. The literature is reviewed and the possibility of a relationship between the isolated peripheral neuritis and the underlying disease is suggested.
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Immunosuppressive drugs have been used for decades in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The recent availability of immunomodulators has caused a major change in the treatment of this disease, but has not meant the disappearance of the use of immunosuppressive drugs, some of which (such as mitoxantrone) have been introduced recently. At present, it is difficult to assess the precise indications for these drugs, since most efficacy studies were made before the availability of magnetic resonance imaging, on criteria which are now considered obsolete. Independently of their value in monotherapy, immunosuppressants may probably be useful in combination with immunomodulators. We review the experience with the most widely used immunosuppressants and mention those drugs which might be used in the near future.