Christina Applegate says her MS diagnosis was incorrect

Actor Christina Applegate said her doctor told her that her multiple sclerosis diagnosis was incorrect. She first announced the diagnosis in 2021. On her podcast, she said she still has symptoms associated with MS and uses a wheelchair to get from her car to medical appointments, MedPage Today reported. CBS News reported that new technology revealed the misdiagnosis. On NPR, neurologist Michael Kornberg said Applegate had mentioned new technology, and he imagined it could refer to newer MRI technology, but said he knew nothing about the details of her case.

Kornberg told NPR there is no single test for MS, and diagnosis involves symptoms and findings such as MRI abnormalities, and sometimes spinal fluid findings. Estimates of how often MS is misdiagnosed vary. MedPage Today reported studies ranging from less than 10% to close to 20%, while Kornberg cited a range of 5- to 20%, depending on the clinic. He said he imagined Applegate’s doctors had other possible diagnoses they were exploring.