24 August 2011

Author: MS Trust

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) consultation process on use of percutaneous venoplasty for CCSVI in MS is starting today (24 August).

The Interventional Procedure Advisory Committee of NICE has met, examined the evidence for use of this intervention in CCSVI in MS and made draft recommendations. These are now available for public comment though the NICE website.

Professor Bruce Campbell, Chair of the independent committee that develops NICE's Interventional Procedures guidance said: "Multiple sclerosis can be a distressing and disabling condition with a lack of effective treatments. This means that it is really important to find out whether percutaneous venoplasty is clinically effective and safe for use in the NHS.

"Based on the existing evidence, we believe that clinicians should only consider offering percutaneous venoplasty as a treatment option for people with MS who fit the diagnostic criteria for CCSVI, as part of structured clinical trials. In particular, we would welcome controlled research comparing percutaneous venoplasty against 'sham venoplasty', in the same way that drug treatments are compared to a placebo."

The public consultation period will run for four weeks from 24 August to 21 September. During this time anyone with an interest is invited to comment on the draft recommendations published on the NICE website.

We are pleased that NICE is consulting on its recommendations on CCSVI. We agree that there is currently insufficient evidence to support the wide usage of CCSVI, and welcome further clinical trials. However it is important that the researchers use measures that are of real value to people with MS. We would encourage people to send their views to NICE, particularly if they have experienced the procedure.

Pam Macfarlane, MS Trust chief executive

Chronic cerebro-spinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) is a theory developed by Paolo Zamboni, a vascular surgeon at the University of Ferrara in Italy. His theory is that stenosis (an abnormal narrowing or obstruction) in blood vessels that take blood from the brain allows a build up of iron. This is then able to cross the blood-brain barrier and cause inflammation and damage to cells in the central nervous system, leading to MS symptoms.

It has been proposed that CCSVI can be treated by surgical procedures either by inflating balloons (balloon venoplasty) to open the narrowed veins or by inserting a stent (mesh tube) to support the vein.

http://www.mstrust.org.uk/news/article.jsp?id=4907