Individuals can be deemed to have radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) if they have incidental demyelinating-appearing lesions in their brain or spinal cord that are highly suggestive of multiple sclerosis but their clinical history does not include symptoms consistent with multiple sclerosis. Data from international longitudinal cohorts indicate that around half of people with RIS will develop relapsing or progressive symptoms of multiple sclerosis within 10 years, suggesting that in some individuals, RIS is a presymptomatic stage of multiple sclerosis. Risk factors for progression from RIS to clinical multiple sclerosis include younger age (ie, <35 years), male sex, CSF-restricted oligoclonal bands, spinal cord or infratentorial lesions, and gadolinium-enhancing lesions. Other imaging, biological, genetic, and digital biomarkers that might be of value in identifying individuals who are at the highest risk of developing multiple sclerosis need further investigation. Two 2-year randomised clinical trials showed the efficacy of approved multiple sclerosis immunomodulatory medications in preventing the clinical conversion to multiple sclerosis in some individuals with RIS. If substantiated in longer-term studies, these data have the potential to transform our approach to care for the people with RIS who are at the greatest risk of diagnosis with multiple sclerosis.
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