Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that can affect the brain and/or the spinal cord. It usually occurs in people aged between 20 and 40 and overwhelmingly affects women. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease, the cause of which is currently unknown. The symptomatology, which is variable, relates to a lesion in the brain or medullary area. The most frequent symptoms are visual disturbance, motor disruption and lack of coordination. The condition generally develops in the form known as “relapsing-remitting” which translates into peaks of symptoms that appear and progress, but mostly recede, interspersed with intervals which are devoid of any clinical manifestation. Diagnosis, apart from taking a medical history and performing a detailed neurological examination, is based mainly on an MRI scan and a lumbar puncture. 

Recent years have seen the emergence of many new basic treatments which have expanded the choice of therapeutic substances available. A number of treatments are now available for oral administration. These therapies slow the development of the disease, improve the long-term prognosis and can partially prevent the transition of the so-called “inflammatory” phase into the condition known as “degenerative”. The multiplicity of choices for treatment means that each has its advantages and disadvantages and requires the advice of a specialist, often involving a thorough examination, before embarking upon a given treatment, with regular clinical and radiological follow-up in order to judge the efficacy of treatment and the appearance of any potentially serious side effects.