Multiple sclerosis’ evolution of paediatric patients in adult life: A preliminary study

Abstract

Background - Nowadays, multiple sclerosis is considered to be the most common immune-mediated, inflammatory, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Approximately 2.1 million people suffer from this disease world- wide. Scope - The presented article is a retrospective observational preliminary clinical study, being based upon fourteen patients. Materials and methods – These patients were initially evaluated and diagnosed in the ‘Neuropaediatric department’ and then admitted to the ‘Emergency University Hospital of Bucharest’ (SUUB), after the age of 18 years. The aim of this clinical study was to retrospectively assess the evolution of multiple sclerosis from the moment of its initial clinical manifestation on these paediatric patients into adult life. Results - For each of these patients, a study sheet was designed, according to which every patient was evaluated based upon a variety of parameters. Conclusions – The majority of the data obtained from this preliminary clinical study is congruent with the literature. Nevertheless, the presented article emphasizes the possibility of a Cytomegalovirus (CMV) - viral infection to be a causative agent of multiple sclerosis and not a protective factor instead. Even though epileptic seizures are considered to be an unusual manifestation of multiple sclerosis, a specific case of one paediatric patient with multiple sclerosis is being presented, who also suffered from general tonic-clonic seizures.