European journal of paediatric neurology : EJPN : official journal of the European Paediatric Neurology Society
September 23, 2026 · via Europe PMC
Pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis in Finland.
Hautala S, Malén-Louekari A, Westerholm-Ormio M, Huhtala H, Rauma I, Kuusisto H.
AI summary — for doctors, generated from the abstract only
The first study of pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis in Finland found it is rare, with optic neuritis as the most common initial presentation overall, but other mono- and multifocal presentations predominating in those who actually went on to develop MS, and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis rarely evolving into MS in children.
What was studied
A national registry-based study identified individuals under 18 diagnosed with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) or multiple sclerosis (MS) from the MS registries of Tampere and Helsinki University Hospitals in Finland, extracting data from electronic patient records to characterize the epidemiology, clinical presentations, and progression of pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS).
Key findings
- 73 children with clinically isolated syndrome were identified; 34 (47%) were diagnosed with MS before age 18, with an additional 8 (11%) diagnosed by age 28, and the median time from CIS to MS diagnosis in those diagnosed before 18 was 6 months
- CIS phenotypes included optic neuritis (32%), acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM, 14%), transverse myelitis (12%), internuclear ophthalmoplegia (7%), other/undefined monofocal presentations (21%), and multifocal presentations (15%)
- The prevalence of pediatric-onset MS was 5.5 per 100,000, with incidence ranging from 0.16 to 0.81 per 100,000; while optic neuritis was the most common CIS presentation overall, other mono- and multifocal manifestations predominated specifically among those who went on to develop POMS, and ADEM rarely evolved into MS in these pediatric patients (unlike the typically distinct course seen in adults)
Clinical relevance
The findings suggest that pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis remains rare in Finland, and that while optic neuritis is the most common initial presentation overall in children with any demyelinating event, clinicians should be aware that other presentation types more often predict eventual MS diagnosis, and that ADEM, though atypical for later MS in general pediatric populations, can rarely still evolve into MS, which may be relevant to counseling and follow-up planning for children presenting with a first demyelinating event.
Who should care
Limitations
This was a registry-based study limited to two Finnish university hospital systems, which may not capture all cases nationally, and the relatively small number of total cases (73 CIS, 34 progressing to MS before 18) limits the precision of the specific prevalence and incidence estimates.
In this first Finnish study of pediatric-onset MS, the condition was rare (prevalence 5.5 per 100,000), with optic neuritis the most common initial presentation overall, though other presentation types more often predicted eventual MS diagnosis, and ADEM only rarely evolved into MS in children.
This is an AI-generated summary of the published abstract, not a clinical recommendation. It may not reflect the full text or subsequent updates — verify against the original source before acting on it.
Abstract
Introduction
Although there are extensive data on multiple sclerosis (MS) in adults, the epidemiology and clinical features of pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) in Finland are unknown.
Subjects
and methods: Individuals under 18 years of age diagnosed with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) or MS were identified from the MS registries of Tampere and Helsinki University Hospitals, based on the ICD-10 classification. The data were extracted from the electronic patient records (EPRs) and MS registries.
Results
A total of 73 children with CIS were identified. Among these, 34 (47%) were diagnosed with MS before the age of 18, and an additional 8 (11%) by the age of 28. The median time from CIS to a diagnosis of MS in those diagnosed before 18 was 6 months. CIS phenotypes included optic neuritis (ON) in 23/73 (32%), acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) in 10/73 (14%), transverse myelitis (TM) in 9/73 (12%), internuclear ophthalmoplegia (INO) in 5/73 (7%) and other or undefined monofocal presentations in 15/73 (21%) and multifocal presentations in 11/73 (15%). The prevalence of POMS in our cohort was 5.5 per 100,000, with an incidence ranging from 0.16 to 0.81 per 100,000.
Conclusion
POMS is rare in Finland. Although ON was seen in 32% of all cases of CIS, other mono- and multifocal manifestations predominated in those who developed POMS. Unlike in adults, ADEM can also rarely develop into MS in pediatric patients.
DOI
10.1016/j.ejpn.2026.09.005
PMID
42790292
Research metadata (titles, abstracts, authors, publication dates) is sourced from Europe PMC, which aggregates content from PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other providers under the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM/NCBI). NLM does not claim copyright on abstracts; the original journal publishers or authors may hold rights to the full articles. AI-generated summaries are derived only from the abstract, never the full text, and are always labeled as AI-generated.
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