Contributions
Abstract: P329
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: Clinical aspects of MS - 4 Natural course
Background: Despite targeting inflammation with current treatment regimens, many patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) continue to develop progressive disability. However, there is a subset of patients with benign MS who have minimal disability after decades of illness with less aggressive therapeutic treatments. The definition and prevalence of benign MS vary greatly between different study groups. We aim to describe patients from our clinic with benign MS, which we have defined as having MS for greater than or equal to 20 years and having an EDSS of less than or equal to 3.
Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective data analysis was performed on electronic clinical data collected from a state-level tertiary MS center after IRB approval. >90% of patients in the database had exposure to disease modifying agents.
Results: 31.3% of patients with MS for at least 20 years met our definition of “benign MS”. Patients with benign MS were diagnosed at a younger age, with median age of diagnosis of 29 versus 31 for those with a more active disease course (P=0.046). 88.5% of patients with benign MS were still characterized as having RRMS, compared to 15.8% of patients with MS for over 20 years with an EDSS greater than 3.0 (P< 0.001). Only 1 out of 11 (9.1%) patients with PPMS for 20 years had an EDSS of less than 3. Of patients diagnosed with MS for over 20 years, those that met the criteria for benign MS were less likely to have failed a prior therapy (P=0.003), but were more likely to be on current disease modifying therapies (P=0.030). Patients with benign MS were also less likely to have been treated with aggressive agents (P< 0.001).
Conclusion: Patients that met our definition of benign MS were diagnosed at a younger age than those with a more aggressive disease course. Patients with benign MS were less likely to have failed prior therapies, including aggressive agents, but were more likely to continue active MS disease modifying therapy, presumably because their disease had not advanced to a progressive course. The prevalence of 31.3% in our study population was higher than several other study groups despite more stringent criteria; this could reflect advances in MS treatment through disease modifying therapies.
Disclosure:
Andrew Bouley: nothing to disclose
Jonathan Cahill: nothing to disclose
Alison Daigle: nothing to disclose
Brian Wong: nothing to disclose
Roderick Elias: nothing to disclose
Syed Rizvi: nothing to disclose
Abstract: P329
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: Clinical aspects of MS - 4 Natural course
Background: Despite targeting inflammation with current treatment regimens, many patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) continue to develop progressive disability. However, there is a subset of patients with benign MS who have minimal disability after decades of illness with less aggressive therapeutic treatments. The definition and prevalence of benign MS vary greatly between different study groups. We aim to describe patients from our clinic with benign MS, which we have defined as having MS for greater than or equal to 20 years and having an EDSS of less than or equal to 3.
Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective data analysis was performed on electronic clinical data collected from a state-level tertiary MS center after IRB approval. >90% of patients in the database had exposure to disease modifying agents.
Results: 31.3% of patients with MS for at least 20 years met our definition of “benign MS”. Patients with benign MS were diagnosed at a younger age, with median age of diagnosis of 29 versus 31 for those with a more active disease course (P=0.046). 88.5% of patients with benign MS were still characterized as having RRMS, compared to 15.8% of patients with MS for over 20 years with an EDSS greater than 3.0 (P< 0.001). Only 1 out of 11 (9.1%) patients with PPMS for 20 years had an EDSS of less than 3. Of patients diagnosed with MS for over 20 years, those that met the criteria for benign MS were less likely to have failed a prior therapy (P=0.003), but were more likely to be on current disease modifying therapies (P=0.030). Patients with benign MS were also less likely to have been treated with aggressive agents (P< 0.001).
Conclusion: Patients that met our definition of benign MS were diagnosed at a younger age than those with a more aggressive disease course. Patients with benign MS were less likely to have failed prior therapies, including aggressive agents, but were more likely to continue active MS disease modifying therapy, presumably because their disease had not advanced to a progressive course. The prevalence of 31.3% in our study population was higher than several other study groups despite more stringent criteria; this could reflect advances in MS treatment through disease modifying therapies.
Disclosure:
Andrew Bouley: nothing to disclose
Jonathan Cahill: nothing to disclose
Alison Daigle: nothing to disclose
Brian Wong: nothing to disclose
Roderick Elias: nothing to disclose
Syed Rizvi: nothing to disclose