Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Paediatric Onset Multiple Sclerosis in Latvia

Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation

Description

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) and most commonly is diagnosed in young adults. Pediatric-onset MS (POMS) starts before the age of 18 and it is a rare disease. POMS tends to be more aggressive compared to adult-onset MS with more frequent relapses leading to disability at younger age.. This was a retrospective study and included Children’s Clinical University Hospital patients with diagnosed POMS starting from 2010 till 2022. Clinical and demographic data were collected from medical history data system.. In our study group 16 patients were enrolled with mean age 15.3 ± 2.7 years at the time of first CNS demyelinating episode, 62.5% (n=10) were females, 37.5% (n=6) males. The annual incidence rate POMS in this time period was 0.8/ 100 000 children Age was ranging from 7 years till 17 years, 62.5% (n=10) of patients were ≥ 16 years old. Of 16 patients 75.0% (n=14) were diagnosed in the last 4-year period (2019 – 2022). Symptoms at first relapse were ataxia 56.3% (n=9), visual disturbances 56.3% (n=9), cranial nerve deficits 43.8% (n=7), sensory deficits 37.5% (n=6), motor deficits 31.2% (n=5), headache 18.8% (n=3) and autonomic dysfunction 12.5% (n=2). At least one relapse after the first event was seen in 43.8% (n=7) till patients reached 18 years. Time from first till second episode ranging from 28 days till 520 days, mean 155.0 ± 162 days. Mean relapse count in one year was 3.6 ± 1.7, range from 1 till 5 per year. . The incidence of POMS has been increasing in the last years, probably due to better diagnostics and increased awareness. Most POMS patients are 16 years or older. Almost half of POMS patients have relapses during childhood with high relapse frequency (≥ 3) indicating aggressive course of the disease.
Period29 Mar 2023
Event titleRSU International Research Conference 2023: Knowledge for Use in Practice
Event typeConference
OrganiserRīga Stradiņš University
LocationRiga, LatviaShow on map
Degree of RecognitionInternational

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