title: Early onset multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) onset is usually in adult life (age 20-40 years). Discordant data have been reported concerning the frequency of early onset MS (EOMS) that ranges from 2.7% to 5%, whereas there is a general agreement on prevalence of female sex, particularly after puberty. The initial symptoms in EOMS are frequently characterized by visual loss whereas the other functional systems are involved with a variable frequency. Literature data show that EOMS tends to have a relapsing-remitting course, a high rate of recovery from the initial attack, a long time interval between the first and second attacks and a slow progression rate. A poor prognosis is reported in a few cases of EOMS and seems to be related to number of relapses and to the delay between the first and second attacks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: I L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Simone
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carrara
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tortorella
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ceccarelli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Livrea
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012737:Sex Factors