Canadian gal

They don't normally try to categorize us until we at least have a dx, and then they observe us over time (usually 5 yrs). However, if he is right about it being MS (and without going back to read all your posts to see your symptoms), I can guess at why he may be leaning towards PPMS.

If you are not relapsing, and the symptoms came on fairly suddenly (and have not abated significantly), then it would appear to be more "progressive" then Relapsing/Remitting.

From research I've done . . . people with PPMS tend to be older when the symptoms come on, and there is a higher % of male in this category (vs. RR, which is mostly female). Many people with PPMS present with predominately motor symptoms, and they tend to have lower lesion loads, particularly gad-enhanced lesions (showing inflammation). There is usually more spinal involvment though, and sometimes there is ONLY spinal cord lesions with PPMS.

There is another disease (or at least they think it's a different disease), called Devic's. At one time they thought it was a variant of MS, but they are now leaning towards it being a different disease process all together. I suspect a number of people dx with PPMS might in fact have Devic's, but it has been poorly understood, so sometimes they just get categorized as PPMS. People with Devic's have mostly very large spinal lesions (often that's all they have, and/or very few brain lesions), and they generally have ON too.

There are very few diseases that cause spinal lesions though . . . so that sometimes makes the dx of MS/Devic's easier. There is a test out of the Mayo Clinic now (I think) that can usually differentiate between PPMS and Devic's.

Of course any time the spinal cord is damaged, this can have immediate consequences, so disability from MS (and Devic's) often corresponds better with having spinal lesions.

I am a mostly spinal lesion person, and it has been difficult at times. However, I am at least 17 yrs into this disease, and so far have recovered from every flare-up. When we have few brain lesions, mostly spinal lesions, we don't recover/fluctuate with relapses and remissions, I think they tend to suspect PPMS rather then RRMS.

Good luck on your results!!

Cherie