Marburg's variant of multiple sclerosis, also known as Marburg multiple sclerosis or acute fulminant multiple sclerosis, is considered one of the multiple sclerosis borderline diseases, which is a collection of diseases classified by some as MS variants and by others as different diseases. Other diseases in this group are neuromyelitis optica (NMO), Balo concentric sclerosis, and Schilder's disease. The graver course is one form of malignant multiple sclerosis, with patients reaching a significant level of disability in less than five years from their first symptoms, often in a matter of months.
It took its name from Otto Marburg. It can be diagnosed in vivo with an MRI scan. If Marburg disease occurs in the form of a single large lesion, it can be radiologically indistinguishable from a brain tumor or abscess. In such cases, craniotomy and biopsy are needed to exclude other pathologies. It is usually lethal, but it has been found to be responsive to Mitoxantrone and Alemtuzumab, and it has also been responsive to autologous stem cell transplantation. Recent evidence shows that Marburg's presents a heterogeneous response to medication, as does standard MS.
Sometimes Marburg MS is considered a synonym for tumefactive MS, but not for all authors.
Prognosis
Marburg variant of MS is an acute fulminant demyelinating process which in most cases progresses inexorably to death within 1–2 years. However, there are some reports of Marburg MS reaching stability by three years.