Christina Applegate Says She Was Misdiagnosed With MS; Study Finds ~1 in 5 Referrals Lack Disease

3.0 · 7d ago · US

The Facts

  • Actress Christina Applegate, 54, said on an Oct. 20 episode of her podcast 'MeSsy' that she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Fox News only
  • Applegate was first diagnosed with MS in 2021 after brain and spinal MRIs and a spinal tap; she said doctors found dozens of brain lesions, around 30 by her account. Fox News only
  • After years of treatment, her doctor stopped her regular infusions and monitored her B cells, which did not change; after further brain scans the doctor told her she did not have MS, according to Applegate. Fox News only
  • Applegate said her condition has not improved and in some ways worsened, and she does not know the cause of her symptoms. Fox News only
  • Dr. Marwa Kaisey of Cedars-Sinai, who has not treated Applegate, said that in her study of patients referred to MS clinics at UCLA and Cedars-Sinai, nearly one in five who arrived with an MS diagnosis did not have the disease. Fox News only
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  • Kaisey said there is no single test for MS; diagnosis relies on criteria, some subjective, and most misdiagnosed patients had white matter lesions with other causes. Fox News only
  • The 'central vein sign', an MRI finding of small vessels running through lesion centers, has been incorporated into updated MS diagnostic criteria to help distinguish MS lesions from other causes. Fox News only

Context

Christina Applegate disclosed on her podcast that her 2021 multiple sclerosis diagnosis was reversed after years of treatment. Neurologists interviewed by Fox News Digital, who have not treated her, said MS misdiagnosis is fairly common because no single test confirms the disease and symptoms overlap with other conditions.

Newer imaging markers such as the central vein sign are intended to improve diagnostic accuracy.

How the Agent Panel Scored This

Independent AI personas each scored importance 1–10; the story's score is a trimmed mean (highest and lowest votes dropped). Vote spread: 0.

3 Business Analyst This is a celebrity's personal disclosure of a reversed diagnosis plus a single-institution study with no market or regulatory action, so its impact is limited to a niche medical-interest audience.
3 Informed Citizen This is a celebrity's personal health disclosure plus a single clinic study on misdiagnosis rates, with limited direct impact on ordinary people beyond general awareness of diagnostic accuracy.
3 News Editor The story centers on a celebrity's personal disclosure of a misdiagnosis plus a single-institution study, which is a limited-impact health and entertainment item rather than a concrete event with broad immediate consequences.

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