Retrospective analysis of pediatric multiple sclerosis in the Republic of Bashkortostan

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) primarily starts in the young and may develop in children. The ratio of girls to boys younger than 10–12 is 1:1, and after puberty is 3:1. During puberty, monosymptomatic exacerbations and remitting MS are more common. An increased prevalence in pediatric patients is observed. AIM: The paper assesses clinical and epidemiological attributes of pediatric-onset MS in the Republic of Bashkortostan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical and epidemiological attributes of pediatric MS patients were compared with typical-onset patients. Statistics were analyzed using Statistica 22.0. RESULTS: In the Republic of Bashkortostan, 113 cases of pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) have been recorded, which is 4.2% of the total MS cases. The prevalence of pediatric MS is 2.5 cases, the incidence is 1.3 per 100,000 children. The population is predominantly urban. Prior to MS onset, all patients had suffered from acute respiratory viral infections, and the majority (94.2%) had suffered from chickenpox. Females predominate with the ratio of 2.6:1. The average progression rate of neurologic deficit is 0.2 points per year (0.1; 1.3). In cases with the onset after 18, the rate is 0.3 points per year (0.3; 2.4); p=0.761. All pediatric patients have a relapsing-remitting MS. No significant differences were found in the clinical manifestations of pediatric- and adult-onset MS ( p0.05). CONCLUSION: It is required to expand clinical and epidemiological studies of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the pediatric population to ensure better diagnosis and early administration of the relevant pathogenetic therapy.