title: Acquired CNS Demyelinating Syndrome in Children Referred to ShirazPediatric Neurology Ward.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Incidence of CNS acquired demyelinating syndrome (ADS), especially multiple sclerosis (MS) in children, appears to be on the rise worldwide. The objective of this study was to determine prevalence, clinical presentation, neuroimaging features, and prognosis of different types of ADS in Iranian children.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the period 2002-2012, all the patients (aged 1-18 years) with ADS, such as MS, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), optic neurotic (ON), Devic disease, and transverse myelitis (TM), referred to the pediatric neurology ward, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, were included in this study. Demographic data, clinical signs and symptoms, past and family history, preclinical findings, clinical course, and outcome were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 88 patients with ADS in our center. The most prevalent disease was MS with 36.5% (n=32), followed by AEDM 26.1% (n=31), ON 17% (n=13), TM 15.9% (n=14), and Devic disease 4.5% (n=4). MS, ON, TM were more common among females while ADEM was more common in males. Children with ADEM were significantly younger than those with other types of ADS. Family history was positive in 10% of patients with MS. Previous history of recent infection was considerably seen in cases with ADEM. Clinical presentation and prognosis in this study was in accordance with those in previous studies on children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, the most common type of ADS was MS, which was more common in female and older age cases. ADEM was more common in male and younger children. ADEM and ON had the best and Devic disease had the worst prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Soroor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inaloo
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Department, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Saeedeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haghbin
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Department, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrpoor
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moradi
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Department, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dashti
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Nazila
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Safari
keywords: Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis; CNS demyelinating syndrome; Children; Multiple sclerosis; Optic neuritis; Transverse myelitis