Clinical and pharmacological aspects of inflammatory demyelinating diseases in childhood: an update.
Inflammatory demyelinating diseases comprise a spectrum of disorders affecting the myelin of the central and peripheral nervous system. These diseases can usually be differentiated on the basis of clinical, radiological, laboratory and pathological findings. Recent studies have contributed to current awareness that inflammatory demyelinating diseases are not restricted to the adult age group, but are more common in pediatric age than previously believed. Some of pediatric inflammatory demyelinating diseases carry an unfavorable long-term prognosis but appropriate treatments can improve the outcome. The possibility of physical and cognitive disability resulting from these diseases, highlights the urgent need for therapeutic strategies for neurorehabilitation, neuroregeneration, and neurorepair. This review discusses characteristics of primary demyelinating diseases more frequently observed in childhood, focusing on epidemiology, clinical aspects and treatments.
Child Neurology, Paediatric Department, I Faculty of Medicine, "Sapienza University", c/o Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy. childneurology.sapienzaroma@live.it
Alberto
A
Spalice
Pasquale
P
Parisi
Laura
L
Papetti
Francesco
F
Nicita
Fabiana
F
Ursitti
Francesca
F
Del Balzo
Enrico
E
Properzi
Alberto
A
Verrotti
Martino
M
Ruggieri
Paola
P
Iannetti