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Updated: Sep 25, 2026
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Multiple Sclerosis at 7.0 Tesla
Published on: February 19, 2021
Multiple sclerosis in children
1Department of Neurology, Meir General Hospital Kfar-Saba, Kfar-Saba 44281, Israel. gadoth@post.tau.ac.il
Insights
Pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) is often overlooked in infants and young children, leading to diagnostic delays. Early recognition of childhood MS is crucial for timely intervention and improved outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) typically presents in early adulthood.
- Childhood onset MS was recognized in 1980, but awareness remains low, especially in infants.
- Delayed diagnosis of pediatric MS is common, with extensive workups for other conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current data on childhood onset MS.
- To highlight clinical and radiological features specific to pediatric MS.
- To alert physicians to the possibility of MS in young children and infants.
Main Methods:
- Review of updated data on frequency and epidemiology.
- Discussion of clinical and radiological features.
- Summary of outcome and treatment options.
Main Results:
- MS in infants and young children is underdiagnosed.
- Misdiagnosis as meningoencephalitis can occur with acute presentations.
- Diagnostic delays are frequent due to low physician awareness.
Conclusions:
- Increased physician awareness of pediatric MS is essential.
- Early diagnosis and treatment can improve outcomes for children with MS.
- Consideration of MS in infants and young children is critical.
Abstract:
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is traditionally the domain of adult neurologists due to its characteristic presentation during early adult life. Although descriptions of infants with MS appeared in the beginning of the last century and the first autopsy was described even earlier, it was not until 1980 that childhood onset MS was recognized and subsequently well characterized. In spite of this, the awareness of pediatricians and pediatric neurologists to the occurrence of MS especially in infants and young children is still unsatisfactory. It is not infrequent that a meticulous, time consuming and costly search for metabolic and degenerative disorders other that MS is initiated before the diagnosis of MS is considered. This leads to a significant diagnostic and therapeutic delay in many young patients. Moreover, when the presentation is acute and characterized by confusion, seizures, CSF pleocytosis following a viral infection, a diagnosis of meningoencephalitis will be frequently reached. In this review, updated data on frequency, epidemiology, some special clinical and radiological features of childhood onset MS, outcome and treatment will be briefly discussed with the purpose of alerting physicians to the possibility of the occurrence of MS even in infants and young children.
