The differential diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE This article will discuss the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), with particular attention to differentiating it from other diseases that can mimic it. METHODS We reviewed our own data, as well as the published experience on the differential diagnosis of MS and the most common errors leading to misdiagnosis. RESULTS Psychiatric diseases are mistaken for multiple sclerosis more often than any other conditions. Other multifocal illnesses or white-matter diseases are seldom confused with multiple sclerosis. CONCLUSION Neurologists are most likely to misdiagnose multiple sclerosis in patients who have psychiatric problems or who have uncommon presentations of common diseases such as migraine, stroke, or neuropathies.