Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, demyelinating, not fully understood disease of the central nervous system. The first demyelinating clinical episode is called clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) suggestive of MS. Although the most common manifestations of CIS are long tracts dysfunction and unilateral optic neuritis, it can also include isolated brainstem syndromes, cerebellar involvement, and polysymptomatic clinical image. Recently, the frequency of CIS diagnosis has decreased due to the more sensitive and less specific 2017 McDonald criteria compared with the revisions from 2010. Not all patients with CIS develop MS. The risk of conversion can be estimated based on many predictive factors including epidemiological, ethnical, clinical, biochemical, radiological, immunogenetic, and other markers. The management of CIS is nowadays widely discussed among clinicians and neuroscientists. To date, interferons, glatiramer acetate, teriflunomide, cladribine, and some other agents have been evaluated in randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind studies relying on large groups of patients with the first demyelinating event. All of these drugs were shown to have beneficial effects in patients with CIS and might be used routinely in the future. The goal of this article is to explore the most relevant topics regarding CIS as well as to provide the most recent information in the field. The review presents CIS definition, classification, clinical image, predictive factors, and management. What is more, this is one of very few reviews summarizing the topic in the light of the 2017 McDonald criteria.
Keywords: conversion; first demyelinating event; magnetic resonance imaging; prediction; the 2017 McDonald criteria.