Abstract Background Baló’s concentric sclerosis (BCS) is a rare inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system characterised by concentric layers of demyelination. It is unclear whether BCS is a variant of multiple sclerosis (MS) or a disease entity in its own right. Objective To compare the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) features of BCS to those of MS. Methods Retrospective analysis of the CSF profile of all patients with BCS reported in the medical literature between 1980 and 2017. Results In total, the results of 146 lumbar punctures (LP) in 132 patients were analysed. The most striking finding was a lack of CSF-restricted oligoclonal bands (OCB) in 66% (56/85) of all LP in the total BCS group, in 74% (14/19) in the subgroup of patients with both MRI and histological evidence for BCS, and in 82% (18/22) in the subgroup of patients with highest radiological confidence (high MRI quality, ≥ 3 layers of demyelination). OCB disappeared in 1/2 initially OCB-positive patients. These findings are in stark contrast to MS, in which OCB are present in ≥ 95% of patients and are thought to remain stably detectable over the entire course of disease (p
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