MS Trust remains cautious about CCSVI

12 January 2010

With CCSVI again in the news, the MS Trust suggests caution in considering surgery based on what is still a theory being investigated by researchers.

CCSVI (chronic cerebro-spinal venous insufficiency), the theory that an abnormal narrowing in blood vessels that take blood from the brain might be a cause of MS symptoms or perhaps MS itself.

Results of small studies led by Paolo Zamboni, the vascular surgeon who developed the theory, suggest that CCSVI occurs in people with different types of MS, but not in healthy people and people with other neurological conditions, and that surgery to rectify the narrowed veins might lead to a decrease in the relapse rate of people with relapsing remitting MS.

Further studies of CCSVI and MS are necessary to explore the theory and its implications, and also to consider the risks and benefits of the surgical procedure. The first such studies are planned in Canada and the USA.

Pam Macfarlane, chief executive of the MS Trust, said "In the coverage of CCSVI it is important not to lose sight of the fact that it remains a theory that poses questions about MS. This type of surgery is not without risk and pending further research it is premature to consider it as a treatment option."