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Multiple sclerosis with very late onset
1Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Neurology
|October 1, 1992
Summary
Very late-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) is rare, affecting 0.6% of patients aged 60+. This form typically presents with slow motor decline and a progressive disease course from the start.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Clinical Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system.
- While MS onset typically occurs in younger adults, very late-onset MS (VLOMS) after age 59 is exceptionally rare.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of very late-onset multiple sclerosis (VLOMS) in a large patient cohort.
- To describe the typical presentation and disease course of individuals experiencing initial MS symptoms at age 60 or older.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of a large multiple sclerosis (MS) patient population (N = 2,019).
- Identification of patients with initial clinical symptoms onset at age 60 or older.
- Classification of MS diagnosis based on established clinical and laboratory criteria.
Main Results:
- Only 0.6% of the studied MS population (12 patients) experienced symptom onset at age 60 or older.
- The majority of VLOMS cases presented with a slow deterioration of motor function.
- Most very late-onset patients (10 of 12) exhibited a progressive disease course from onset.
Conclusions:
- Very late-onset multiple sclerosis is an infrequent clinical presentation.
- Motor function decline is a characteristic initial symptom in this patient group.
- VLOMS commonly follows a progressive disease trajectory from its earliest stages.