Malignant multiple sclerosis is used to describe MS patients who reach significant level of disability in a short period of time. Malignant MS cases are not common, less than 5% of patients with MS experience this type of progression.The National MS Society Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials of New Agents consensus defined it as: disease with a rapid progressive course, leading to significant disability in multiple neurologic systems or death in a relatively short time after disease onset. Reaching Expanded Disability Status Scale of 6.0 or higher, which is equivalent of needing unilateral support to ambulate  (or worse) is generally considered this significant disability level.Patients with severe forms of more common relapsing remitting or progressive MS subtypes, as well as rare Marburg variant and Balo concentric sclerosis, could be considered to have malignant MS. Patients should be carefully worked up to rule out Neuromyelitis optica (Devics disease) due to the distinctive pathophysiology and management strategies of this disease. Signs and symptoms
Some common physical symptoms may include: "weakness in extremities, difficulties with coordination and balance, spasticity, paresthesia, speech impediments, tremors, dizziness, hearing loss, vision impairments, bowel and bladder difficulties"

Diagnosis
Earlier signs include an increase in mobility over a short period of time. Malignant MS happens in patients that already have or have been diagnosed with MS. There is not a specific test to detect malignant MS; it is often confused with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. Malignant MS is diagnosed after clinical investigations.
Though brittle fracture is less common than other types of failure, the impacts to life and property can be more severe. The following notable historic failures were attributed to brittle fracture:

Pressure vessels: Great Molasses Flood in 1919, New Jersey molasses tank failure in 1973
Bridges: King Street Bridge span collapse in 1962, Silver Bridge collapse in 1967, partial failure of the Hoan Bridge in 2000
Ships: Titanic in 1912, Liberty ships during World War II, SS Schenectady in 1943

See also
Notes
References
Further reading
Dieter, G. E. (1988) Mechanical Metallurgy ISBN 0-07-100406-8
A. Garcimartin, A. Guarino, L. Bellon and S. Cilberto (1997) " Statistical Properties of Fracture Precursors ". Physical Review Letters, 79, 3202 (1997)
Callister, Jr., William D. (2002) Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction. ISBN 0-471-13576-3
Peter Rhys Lewis, Colin Gagg, Ken Reynolds, CRC Press (2004), Forensic Materials Engineering: Case Studies. External links
Virtual museum of failed products at http://materials.open.ac.uk/mem/index.html
Fracture and Reconstruction of a Clay Bowl
Ductile fracture