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Multiple sclerosis beginning in infancy
1Department of Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle 98195.
Insights
This case study details a child with relapsing neurological symptoms, confirming typical childhood multiple sclerosis (MS) can begin in infancy. Elevated Epstein-Barr virus antibodies suggest a potential, though speculative, cause for pediatric MS.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Immunology
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system.
- While typically diagnosed in adults, pediatric-onset MS (POMS) presents unique diagnostic challenges.
- Early-onset MS, even in infancy, is a recognized but less common presentation.
Abstract:
The clinical and autopsy findings on a 6-year-old child presenting with 11 episodes of relapsing neurological symptoms since age 10 months are reported. The brain showed multiple and irregular demyelinative lesions in the cerebral and cerebellar white matter as well as in the tegmentum and base of the brain stem. This case reconfirms the existence of typical multiple sclerosis (MS) in childhood, beginning even in infancy. In addition, elevated Epstein-Barr virus antibody titers during the clinical course of this patient raise an interesting but still speculative etiological possibility for MS.