Key result
A 2-year-old girl in the USA was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, representing the youngest reported case in the country, validated by multiple relapses and new MRI demyelinating lesions.
Case Report (n=1)
This case report describes the youngest reported case of multiple sclerosis in the USA, highlighting the possibility of MS in very young children presenting with ataxia and demyelinating lesions.
MS should be considered in toddlers with ataxia; extends the reported US age spectrum of pediatric onset.
Onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the very young (<10 years) is uncommon. We describe a 2 year old girl with MS, the youngest reported case in the USA. She presented to an outside hospital with acute onset of ataxia on three occasions before presenting to our institution, initially misdiagnosed as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and treated with intravenous methylprednisolone. MRI of the brain during each presentation revealed new areas of demyelination. Initial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies and MRI of the spine were normal. Repeat MRI of the brain at our institution, 7 months later, revealed new demyelinating lesions and CSF analysis revealed elevated myelin basic protein, negative oligoclonal band and neuromyelitis optica immunoglobulin and normal IgG synthesis. Her clinical presentation with multiple relapses and new MRI findings validated the diagnosis of MS.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Sivaraman et al. (2016) conducted a case report in Multiple sclerosis (n=1). A 2-year-old girl in the USA was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, representing the youngest reported case in the country, validated by multiple relapses and new MRI demyelinating lesions.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: