Studies: 15%-20% of MS Diagnoses Later Found Wrong; Woman Had NMOSD After 18 Years

2.0 · 18h ago · US

The Facts

  • DeMonica Amerson was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2001 and, after a 2019 flare and a specialized blood test in an ER, was later found by a specialist to have neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), not MS. CBS News only
  • Dr. Robert Bermel of the Cleveland Clinic's Mellen Center said large studies find 15% to 20% of patients diagnosed with MS are eventually found not to have it. CBS News only
  • Actor Christina Applegate said on her MeSsy podcast in October that she had been incorrectly diagnosed with MS for nearly five years; she said doctors are still unsure what causes her symptoms. CBS News only
  • Doctors Bermel and Gutman said several autoimmune diseases can mimic MS; misdiagnosis is usually found when symptoms do not respond to MS treatment, and it typically occurs when brain scan abnormalities are misinterpreted (per Bermel). CBS News only
  • New MS diagnostic criteria published in 2025 aim to reduce the risk of misdiagnosis. CBS News only
Dive deeper · 2 more factsShow less
  • Dr. Mark Tullman said NMOSD is a rare autoimmune disease affecting the spinal cord and optic nerves, with symptoms similar to MS but typically more severe; many patients have a detectable blood antibody. CBS News only
  • MS has no single diagnostic test; diagnosis combines patient history, MRI imaging and markers such as spinal fluid, according to Dr. Josef Gutman of NYU Langone. CBS News only

Context

CBS News reports on MS misdiagnosis through the case of DeMonica Amerson, who lived with an MS diagnosis for about 18 years before testing showed she had NMOSD, a rare autoimmune disorder.

The topic drew attention after Christina Applegate said she had been misdiagnosed. Specialists cited by CBS say MS diagnosis requires interpretation of multiple types of evidence and can be confused with other autoimmune conditions.

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.

2 Business Analyst This is a health feature story about an individual misdiagnosis case and expert commentary on MS diagnostic accuracy, with no new concrete regulatory, corporate, or market-moving action, only a niche medical-human interest report.
2 Informed Citizen This is a feature story about individual and general misdiagnosis of MS with expert commentary and no new concrete action, policy, or event affecting many people beyond niche medical interest.
2 News Editor This is a feature story about a single patient's misdiagnosis and general expert commentary on MS diagnostic accuracy, with no new concrete policy, treatment, or event affecting large numbers of people, making it niche health reporting.

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