Pediatric-Onset Multiple Sclerosis in Multiple Autoimmune Syndrome: Reporting This Rare Entity in 2 Pediatric Patients.
Evangelia Bechlivani, Konstantinos Notas, Efterpi Pavlidou et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
The report describes two children with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) who also met criteria for multiple autoimmune syndrome (MAS), defined as three or more autoimmune disorders in one person. One had type 1 diabetes and autoimmune thyroiditis; the other had rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune thyroiditis. Both were positive for HLA-DRB1*15:01 and Epstein-Barr virus IgG and had severe vitamin D deficiency. The authors present POMS in these cases as part of a broader autoimmune diathesis and emphasize early recognition, screening, and multidisciplinary management.
What made this case unusual
The notable feature is the coexistence of POMS with MAS in children, alongside shared HLA-DRB1*15:01 positivity, EBV IgG seropositivity, and severe vitamin D deficiency in both patients.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
In a child with POMS, consider whether additional autoimmune disorders meet criteria for MAS; the report supports attention to systemic autoimmune disease and multidisciplinary assessment.
Why it matters
The authors call for multicenter and registry-based studies to clarify how often MAS occurs in pediatric MS and its mechanisms and prognostic implications.