Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40898140›Full record

Observational studyBMC neurology2025

Multiple sclerosis patients' journey delay in diagnosis and treatment: a multicenter study.

Salma Ragab, Basem Hamdy Fouda, Abdallah-Almamun Sarhan, Azza Abbas, Asmaa Mohamed Hassan, Ahmed Embaby, Noha Ali Hashim

Abstract readMulticenter StudyObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Salma RagabNeurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt.
Basem Hamdy FoudaNeurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
Abdallah-Almamun SarhanNeurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
Azza AbbasNeurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
Asmaa Mohamed HassanNeurology Consultant, General Secretariat of Mental Health, Cairo, Egypt.
Ahmed EmbabyInternal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
Noha Ali HashimNeurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt. n.hashim83@hotmail.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo determine factors that contribute to delayed diagnosis and treatment of MS patients. Additionally, the study aimed to evaluate the correlation between diagnostic and therapeutic delay and disease outcome.

methodsThe current cohort observational multicenter study was performed at neurology clinics in four cities in Egypt. In this study, 239 MS patients were enrolled. Multiple Sclerosis Severity Scale (MSSS) and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) were utilized to measure disease severity and disability, respectively. Lag times for diagnosis were calculated in months from the time of the first symptoms to the accurate diagnosis.

resultsThe results revealed that multiple important variables had a negative impact on the timely diagnosis, including the clinical type, as PPMS had longer delayed diagnoses versus RRMS/SPMS (p < 0.001). Conversely, the occurrence of sensory symptoms at disease onset is linked to prolonged diagnostic delay (p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that young age, PPMS, and sensory symptoms were independently associated with delay in MS diagnosis. Patients initially sought medical assistance from ophthalmologists and neurologists, resulting in a significantly more delay in diagnosis (p < 0.001). A statistically positive correlation exists between the time for diagnosis and deterioration of MS assessed by EDSS, MSSS, or PI (p < 0.001). In addition, logistic regression analysis demonstrated that EDSS at diagnosis, delayed diagnosis, and illness duration were independently linked to MS severity (p < 0.001).

conclusionMany factors prolong the duration of MS diagnosis, including the age at disease onset, the delay in being referred from other medical specialties, and the presence of sensory symptoms at disease onset. Furthermore, MS delayed diagnosis and treatment leads to high disease disability with poor functional outcomes.

Indexed as

Delayed DiagnosisMultiple SclerosisAdultCohort StudiesDisability EvaluationEgyptFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSeverity of Illness IndexTime-to-TreatmentYoung AdultDiagnosisDiagnostic delayDisease severityMultiple sclerosisTreatment

Identifiers

PMID40898140
PMCPMC12406396

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.