Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the central nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. It is considered an autoimmune disease, which means it occurs as a result of the body's immune system attacking and damaging its own nervous system. Over time, MS usually evolves into alternating periods of good health, called remission, and disabling flare-ups of the disease, known as relapses. The prognosis for children with MS varies.

At UCSF's Children's Hospital, our Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center specializes in the care of children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis and related demyelinating diseases, including acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), optic neuritis and Devic's disease.

It is the only center of its kind on the West Coast and is designated by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society as a center of excellence in comprehensive care for pediatric patients with MS. We are dedicated to improving the treatment, diagnosis and awareness of children and adolescents with MS and related diseases.

About 400,000 Americans suffer from MS, which is most commonly diagnosed in young adults. In rare cases, the condition affects infants, children and adolescents. Up to 5 percent of people with MS experience symptoms before the age of 18.

Due to a recent increase in education about pediatric MS, the number of children diagnosed has risen. But there is still a lack of awareness about the disease in people under age 18 and it is believed that MS is often under-diagnosed or misdiagnosed in this population.

MS damages the outer covering of nerve cells, called myelin, which is a fatty tissue that protects nerve cells in the same way that insulation protects electrical wiring in a house. Myelin helps nerve fibers conduct electrical impulses to and from the brain. Scar tissue, called sclerosis, accumulates when multiple areas of myelin are damaged. These damaged areas also are known as plaques or lesions.

When MS damages the protective myelin sheath of nerve cells, the sheath sometimes repairs itself and nerves work correctly again. In other cases, the myelin is so damaged that the underlying nerve does not repair itself and dies. In some cases, the nerve cells are damaged and degenerate independently of myelin sheath injury.

The cause of MS is not yet known. Factors such as inflammation, infections, poisons and drugs may damage the myelin sheath, but none of the factors has been identified as the cause of the disease. Heredity also may contribute to the development of the condition.

About 5 percent of patients have a sister or brother who has MS and about 15 percent have a close relative with the disease. However, it is important to note that a specific MS gene abnormality has not yet been identified. Other factors like environmental factors might be involved as the incidence of disease significantly varies with the geographical latitude.

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Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated October 29, 2008