Acquired demyelinating disorders of childhood in the Western Cape, South Africa.

J Child Neurol

Department of Paediatric Neurology, School of Child and Adolescent Health, Red Cross Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.

Published: January 2010

AI Article Synopsis

  • A study reviewed 3,159 pediatric patients with central nervous system demyelinating disorders, identifying 19 with various conditions, including acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and multiple sclerosis.
  • Most cases occurred in summer and winter, with hemiparesis being the most common symptom.
  • MRI results showed deep white matter and cerebellum abnormalities, and multiple sclerosis patients exhibited significant differences in clinical presentations compared to those with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis.

Article Abstract

In a retrospective review of patients with acquired demyelinating disorders of the central nervous system, 19 children (0.6%) were identified from the Paediatric Neurology database of 3159 patients; 7 had acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, 1 had Schilder's disease, 5 had multiple sclerosis, and 6 had acute transverse myelitis. The median age of presentation was 83 months, with increased incidence during the summer and winter months. The commonest presentation was hemiparesis. The commonest regions of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities were the deep white matter (68%) and cerebellum (48%).The patients with multiple sclerosis had more monosymptomatic presentations (P < .02), raised cerebrospinal fluid protein (P = .022), and contrast enhancement of lesions (P = .05) compared with the acute disseminated encephalomyelitis group. Neuroepidemiological published surveillances of African children provide no data about these disorders. The prevalence of acquired demyelinating disorders in resource-poor settings is under-estimated because of the large burden of infections and limited access to neuroimaging.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0883073809336294DOI Listing

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