Fig 1.
Distribution of the initial manifestations.
Motor weakness was the most common initial symptom in about 71.4% (175/245) of patients included in our multicenter cohort, followed by cerebellar manifestations in 14.7% (36/245) and sensory disturbances in 8.6% (21/245). Other initial manifestations such as brain stem syndromes, visual disturbances, cognitive symptoms, complex focal seizures or urinary disturbances were present in 6.3% (13/245).
Table 1.
Clinical features of primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) patients.
Table 2.
Summary of the results of lumbar puncture (LP) in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS).
Table 3.
Prevalence of single positive AI against measles (M), Rubella (R) and varicella-zoster virus (Z) and different combinations in our PPMS cohort.
Fig 2.
Correlation between CSF-lactate and EDSSLP and yearly progression rate in the entire cohort, EDSSLP and LPD.
Spearman correlation between the CSF-lactate and expanded disability score scale at the LP (EDSSLP) and yearly progression rate showed consistently statistically significant positive correlation in the entire cohort, treatment-näive patients PPMSTN and in the results of the diagnostic LP (LPD). On the other side, a significant correlation between CSF-lactate and EDSSLP was found only in the LPD.
Table 4.
Spearman correlation (ρ) between CSF-lactate and EDSS at the lumbar puncture (EDSSLP) and the yearly progression rate in the entire cohort, treatment-naïve PPMS patients (PPMSTN) and at the LP at the year of diagnosis (LPD).