Background: A rapid and reliable diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is crucial to initiate adapted disease-modifying treatment. The 2017 McDonald criteria were revised with the aim of further improving the diagnostic performance.

Objective: In this article the published studies comparing the use of the 2017 and 2010 McDonald criteria were reviewed and analyzed in terms of diagnostic performance.

Methods: A total of 20 studies and 1 review article with a total of 3006 evaluated patients were identified by means of a literature search in the PubMed database (search term: McDonald criteria 2010 and McDonald criteria 2017).

Results: Using the 2017 McDonald criteria, a diagnosis of MS was made in more patients (2277/3006 patients, 76%) and in an earlier stage (3-10 months) compared with the 2010 revision (1562/3006 patients, 52%). Of the additional MS diagnoses, 193/715 were due to the adjustment of the imaging criteria of temporal dissemination and 536/715 were due to the introduction of oligoclonal bands as a diagnostic criterion.

Conclusions: The revised McDonald criteria of 2017 have achieved their goal and enable the diagnosis of MS in a higher proportion of patients at the first clinical event.