Abstract

LYNCET-MEJORADO, David  and  BARRAGAN-PEREZ, Eduardo. Multiple sclerosis in children at Hospital Infantil de Mexico Federico Gomez: an 11 year experience. Bol. Med. Hosp. Infant. Mex. [online]. 2006, vol.63, n.1, pp.40-46. ISSN 1665-1146.

Introduction. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disorder characterized by a demyelinating, autoimmune and inflammatory process of the nervous system. MS in childhood, like in adults, is believed to involve a complex interaction between environmental triggers (such as infections), genetic predisposition, and an abnormal autoimmune response. Because multiple sclerosis is not common in children, diagnosis represents a great challenge. For this reason, a better understanding of the pathophysiology of MS and the advent of new imaging techniques have helped to improve earlier diagnosis and treatment. Objective: describe patients with MS attended in the Hospital Infantil de Mexico in the period between 1994 and 2005. Material and methods. A retrospective study in patients with MS of both genders, between 2-15 years of age, evaluating the clinical symptoms, laboratory and imaging studies and the evolution of the disease. Results. A total of 10 patients (9 females) were evaluated with starting symptoms at 11 years of age. The most salient clinical manifestations were headache, visual disorders and hemiparesis. The visual evoked potentials were abnormal in all children. The MRI studies showed abnormalities including hypodense regions in several areas of the brain. All the patients reported relapses with multiple neurological manifestations, the most common were hemiparesia and loss of visual acuity. Conclusions. MS was once considered to be a rare disease in childhood. Nowadays, the recognition of pediatric MS is increasing. Early diagnosis may permit the initiation of treatment for acute attacks, relapses and progression of the disease.

Keywords : Multiple sclerosis; demyelinating diseases.