Multiple sclerosis in children.
Multiple sclerosis can develop during childhood, even among children under 10 years of age, and the initial diagnosis can be difficult. A first demyelinating event in children may be an episode of monophasic acute disseminated encephalomyelitis or a first episode of a macrophage activation syndrome, angiitis affecting the central nervous system or MS. The risk of developing MS is lower if: the child is younger than 10 years old; onset is associated with severely altered consciousness; presentation is polysymptomatic; or there are large and poorly limited lesions of the white matter. MS in children probably has a slightly better outcome than MS in adults. Initial treatment mainly relies on methylprednisolone, and there is little information on the results of beta interferon treatment in children with MS.
Tardieu
M
M
Service de Neurologie Pédiatrique and INSERM E0109, Hôpital Bicêtre, Faculte de Medecine Paris-Sud, 94276 Le Kremlin Bicetre, Cedex, France. marc.tardieu@kb.u-psud.fr
Mikaeloff
Y
Y
D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis