title: Early-Onset Multiple Sclerosis in Isfahan, Iran: Report of the Demographic and Clinical Features of 221 Patients.
abstract: It is estimated that early-onset multiple sclerosis multiple sclerosis (early-onset multiple sclerosis) approximately incorporates 3-5% of the multiple sclerosis population. In this report on early-onset multiple sclerosis, the authors aimed to define demographic, clinical and imaging features in a case-series of true-childhood multiple sclerosis and to compare its characteristics with juvenile multiple sclerosis. The authors inspected the records of multiple sclerosis patients who were registered by Isfahan MS Society. Clinical and demographic data of children with less than 16 years of age were reviewed retrospectively. Out of 4536 multiple sclerosis patients referred to the authors' center, 221 patients (4.8%) had multiple sclerosis starting at the age of 16 or less (11 true-childhood multiple sclerosis vs 210 juvenile-onset multiple sclerosis); the female to male ratio was 4.81:1. In the mean follow-up period of 6.2 years, 22 patients (10.5%) had positive family history of multiple sclerosis, 196 (88.6%) patients were classified as relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, the mean (± SD Expanded Disability Status Scale) was 1.5 ± 1.1 at the last evaluation. The most common initial presentation was optic nerve involvement (36.1%) and cerebellar sign and symptoms (14.6%). In all, 13 patients (5.8%) had experienced seizure in the course of multiple sclerosis. This study indicated that early-onset multiple sclerosis is not rare condition and overwhelmingly affects girls even at prepubertal onset. Physicians should consider multiple sclerosis in suspicious pediatric cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical School, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran Isfahan Research Committee of Multiple Sclerosis (IRCOMS), Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Etemadifar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Sayed-Mohammadamin
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Nourian
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad Branch, Najafabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Niloofaralsadat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nourian
authors.affiliation: Isfahan Research Committee of Multiple Sclerosis (IRCOMS), Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran Medical Students' Research Committee, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed-Hossein
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Abtahi
authors.affiliation: Isfahan Research Committee of Multiple Sclerosis (IRCOMS), Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Farnaz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sayahi
authors.affiliation: Isfahan Research Committee of Multiple Sclerosis (IRCOMS), Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Saraf
authors.affiliation: Isfahan Research Committee of Multiple Sclerosis (IRCOMS), Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran Institute of Neuropathology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany mf.esfahani@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mahboobeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fereidan-Esfahani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: early-onset multiple sclerosis; juvenile-onset multiple sclerosis; multiple sclerosis; true-childhood multiple sclerosis