Yılmaz, ÜnsalAnlar, BanuGücüyener, KıvılcımYaramış, AhmetCansu, AliÜnalp, AycanAksoy, Ayşe2024-04-242024-04-242017Yılmaz, Ü., Anlar, B., Gücüyener, K., Yaramış, A., Cansu, A., Aksoy, A. ve diğerleri. (2017). Characteristics of pediatric multiple sclerosis: The Turkish pediatric multiple sclerosis database. European Journal of Paediatric Neurology, 21(6), 864-872.1090-3798https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpn.2017.06.004https://hdl.handle.net/11468/23298https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090379817317208?via%3DihubObjective To document the clinical and paraclinical features of pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) in Turkey. Methods Data of MS patients with onset before age 18 years (n = 193) were collected from 27 pediatric neurology centers throughout Turkey. Earlier-onset (<12 years) and later-onset (?12 years) groups were compared. Results There were 123 (63.7%) girls and 70 (36.3%) boys aged 4–17 years, median 14 years at disease onset. Family history of MS was 6.5%. The first presentation was polysymptomatic in 55.4% of patients, with brainstem syndromes (50.3%), sensory disturbances (44%), motor symptoms (33.2%), and optic neuritis (26.4%) as common initial manifestations. Nineteen children had facial paralysis and 10 had epileptic seizures at first attack; 21 (11%) were initially diagnosed with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). Oligoclonal bands were identified in 68% of patients. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed periventricular (96%), cortical/juxtacortical (64.2%), brainstem (63%), cerebellum (51.4%), and spinal cord (67%) involvement. Visual evoked potentials (VEP) were abnormal in 52%; serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were low in 68.5% of patients. The earlier-onset group had a higher rate of infection/vaccination preceding initial attack, initial diagnosis of ADEM, longer interval between first 2 attacks, and more disability accumulating in the first 3 years of the disease. Conclusion Brainstem and cerebellum are common sites of clinical and radiological involvement in pediatric-onset MS. VEP abnormalities are frequent even in patients without history of optic neuropathy. Vitamin D status does not appear to affect the course in early disease. MS beginning before 12 years of age has certain characteristics in history and course.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessImagingMagnetic resonanceMultiple sclerosisPediatricRelapseVisual evoked potentialsVitamin DArticle2168648722-s2.0-850216967742869413510.1016/j.ejpn.2017.06.004Q1