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Pediatric multiple sclerosis in Venezuela

Joaquín A Peña1, María Elena Ravelo, Evelio Rubio

  • 1Pediatrics Department, School of Medicine, University of Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela. juaco949@hotmail.com

Arquivos De Neuro-Psiquiatria
|April 19, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) in Venezuela shows a significant prevalence, with most children experiencing motor symptoms and a relapsing-remitting pattern. This study offers the first comprehensive look at childhood MS cases in the region.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Epidemiology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system.
  • Pediatric MS (pMS) represents a unique subset with distinct epidemiological and clinical features.
  • Understanding pMS in different geographic regions is crucial for diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the epidemiological and clinical profiles of pediatric patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in Venezuela.
  • To establish the prevalence of childhood-onset MS within the Venezuelan national MS database.
  • To provide the first systematic analysis of pediatric MS in Venezuela.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of the National Program for MS database in Venezuela.
  • Inclusion criteria: patients with an established MS diagnosis and symptom onset before 18 years of age.
  • Data extraction focused on demographic, clinical presentation, and disease course characteristics.

Main Results:

  • Out of 1,710 MS patients, 3.8% had onset before age 18.
  • The female-to-male ratio was 1.13:1 (46.7% boys).
  • Common initial symptoms included motor impairment (30.7%), brainstem/cerebellum or spinal cord involvement (27.6%), and headache (26%). Less frequent were sensory symptoms (8%) and optic neuritis (7%).

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric MS constitutes a notable proportion of all MS cases in Venezuela.
  • The typical clinical presentation involves motor symptoms at onset and a predominantly monosymptomatic, relapsing-remitting course.
  • This study represents the inaugural systematic effort to quantify pediatric MS prevalence in Venezuela.
Abstract

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