Table 3.
Initial presentation and relapse rate of MS patients
| Characteristics | Total (n=186) | EOPMS (<12 years) (n=47) | LOPMS (>12 years) (n=139) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age at first attack (years) | ||||
| Mean ± SD | 14.13 (2.49) | 9.78 (2.61) | 15.12 (3.01) | 0.001 |
| Median (IQR) | 14.5 (13–16) | 9 (7–11) | 15 (13–16) | |
| Sex, ratio (F) | 1.62 (115) | 1.04 (24) | 1.96 (92) | 0.04 |
| Clinical antecedent, n (%) | ||||
| Flu-like symptoms | 15 (8.06%) | 12 (25.53%) | 3 (2.16%) | 0.02 |
| Trauma | 3 (1.61%) | 2 (4.26%) | 1 (0.72%) | 0.10 |
| Vaccination (within 2 months) | 2 (1.21%) | 1 (2.13%) | 1 (0.72%) | 0.81 |
| Initial presentations, n (%) | ||||
| Encephalopathy | 17 (9.14%) | 13 (27.66%) | 4 (2.88%) | 0.001 |
| Polyfocal | 53 (28.49%) | 12 (25.53%) | 41 (29.50%) | 0.28 |
| Monofocal | 116 (62.37%) | 22 (46.81%) | 94 (67.62%) | 0.08 |
| First event symptoms, n (%) | ||||
| Motor | 98 (52.69%) | 29 (61.70%) | 69 (49.64%) | 0.09 |
| Superficial sensory | 83 (44.62%) | 10 (21.28%) | 73 (52.52%) | 0.001 |
| Visual (optic) | 71 (38.17%) | 21 (44.68%) | 50 (35.97%) | 0.12 |
| Diplopia (oculomotor) | 29 (15.59%) | 8 (17.02%) | 21 (15.11%) | 0.31 |
| Ataxia | 65 (34.95%) | 25 (53.19%) | 40 (28.78%) | 0.01 |
| Sphincteric | 21 (11.29%) | 8 (17.02%) | 13 (9.35%) | 0.13 |
| Seizures | 9 (4.84%) | 6 (12.77%) | 3 (2.16%) | 0.02 |
| Dystonia | 4 (2.15%) | 2 (4.26%) | 2 (1.44%) | 0.09 |
| Overall ARR | 0.5–3.6 (0.89±0.57) | 0.7–3.6 (0.92±0.54) | 0.5–3.3 (0.85±0.46) | 0.10 |
| Relapse rate in the first year; mean ± SD | 1.53±0.78 | 1.64±0.68 | 1.23±0.62 | 0.028 |
Abbreviations: ARR, annualized relapse rate; EOPMS, early onset pediatric multiple sclerosis; IQR, interquartile range; LOPMS, late onset pediatric multiple sclerosis; MS, multiple sclerosis.