The aetiology of multiple sclerosis remains unknown at the present time, although
the most likely explanation is that it has an autoimmune inflammatory origin.
During the history of this disease a vascular pathophysiology was once proposed,
and it has recently re-emerged as a result of the work by Paolo Zamboni with the
name of 'chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency'. Following this hypothesis,
Zamboni puts forward a curative treatment for multiple sclerosis by means of
endovascular treatment of the internal jugular vein and the azygos vein. However,
several teams have attempted to replicate his findings without success. In this
review, we offer a chronological description of the studies carried out by
Zamboni and the later attempts to replicate his work. Our main conclusion is
that, given the results we currently have available, we should be cautious and,
for the time being, it would be advisable not to recommend the systematic use of
this treatment for our patients
