Management of pediatric central nervous system demyelinating disorders: consensus of United States neurologists. J Child Neurol 2011 Jun;26(6):675-82
Date
04/27/2011Pubmed ID
21518802Pubmed Central ID
PMC4154504DOI
10.1177/0883073810395141Scopus ID
2-s2.0-79957591907 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 86 CitationsAbstract
Demyelinating diseases are a group of autoimmune inflammatory disorders affecting the central nervous system in adults and children; however, the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of these disorders are primarily based on adult data. The purpose of this study was to assess the practice patterns of US physicians who specialize in treating acquired central nervous system demyelinating diseases in children and adolescents. The Delphi technique was used to identify areas of consensus in management and treatment. Forty-two experts in the field participated in the process. Intravenous methylprednisolone was the first-line treatment of choice for acute episodes of all forms of demyelinating disease; however, consensus was lacking regarding specific dose, treatment duration, and use of an oral taper. First-line disease-modifying therapies for pediatric multiple sclerosis were interferons and glatiramer acetate, chosen based on perceived efficacy and tolerability, respectively. Areas lacking agreement among the expert panel and requiring further research are identified.
Author List
Waldman AT, Gorman MP, Rensel MR, Austin TE, Hertz DP, Kuntz NL, Network of Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence of National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyAuthor
Nancy Bass MD Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdolescentAntibodies, Neutralizing
Child
Consensus
Delphi Technique
Demyelinating Autoimmune Diseases, CNS
Female
Humans
Injections, Intravenous
Male
Methylprednisolone
Physicians
Surveys and Questionnaires
United States
