title: Multiple sclerosis starting before the age of 18 years: the Brazilian experience.
abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) starting in childhood and adolescence poses a challenge for diagnosis and management of the disease. The aim of the present study was to assess the characteristics of early onset MS in Brazilian patients. Methods Retrospective data collection from specialized MS units. Results From 20 MS units in 11 Brazilian states, 117 cases of MS starting before the age of 18 years were collected. These patients had an average of 10 years of disease duration, still typically with low disability and one relapse every 2.5 years. The mean age for disease onset was 13.7 years. Conclusion The present study introduces a large series of Brazilian cases of pediatric MS. Although some patients presented a very severe form of MS, on the whole the group of patients with MS starting in childhood or adolescence presented a relatively mild form of this disease in Brazil.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Metropolitana de Santos, SantosSP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Yara Dadalti
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Fragoso
authors.forename: Maria Lucia Brito
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Nivea de Macedo Oliveira
authors.initials: Nde M
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: Walter Oleschko
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Arruda
authors.forename: Joseph Bruno Bidin
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: Denise Sisterolli Diniz
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.forename: Margarete de Jesus
authors.initials: Mde J
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Elizabeth Regina
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Comini-Frota
authors.forename: Eber Castro
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.forename: Carlos Augusto de Albuquerque
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Damasceno
authors.forename: Renan Barros
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Domingues
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Finkelsztejn
authors.forename: Paulo Diniz da
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Gama
authors.forename: Sidney
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Marcus Vinicius Magno
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Anderson Kuntz
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Grzesiuk
authors.forename: Jussara Mathias Netto
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Khouri
authors.forename: Damacio Ramon
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Kaimen-Maciel
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.forename: Rogerio de Rizo
authors.initials: Rde R
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: Sonia Beatriz Felix
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Taysa Alexandrino Gonsalves Jube
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Livia Brito Bezerra de
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Albuquerque
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anacleto
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finkelsztejn
authors.forename: Rodrigo Assad Diniz da
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Gama
authors.forename: Josiane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: Celso Luis Silva
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Francisco Tomaz Meneses
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Leopoldo Antônio
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.forename: Patricia Correia de Oliveira
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Saldanha
authors.forename: Adélia Henriques
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Alex Eduardo da
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D017668:Age of Onset; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013997:Time Factors