OPTIC NEURITIS IN CHILDREN - RECURRENCE AND SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENT OFMULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS

Recurrent optic neuritis and the subsequent development of multiple sc lerosis in children, particularly in Asian countries, are not well kno wn, We report on recurrent optic neuritis and subsequent multiple scle rosis in 22 Thai children who were younger than 15 years of age at the onset of optic neuritis, had no previous neurologic illness, and were monitored for 6-20 years, Improvement of vision was observed in 8, 10 , and 2 patients after the first, second, and third week of onset, res pectively, Two patients had recurrent optic neuritis and the other 2 p atients subsequently developed clinical definite multiple sclerosis ch aracterized by hemiparesis at 6 months and myelopathy at 2 years later in 1 patient and myelopathy and brainstem dysfunction in the other at 4 and 6 years later, The frequency of subsequent development of multi ple sclerosis after optic neuritis may be similar to that reported fro m the United States and European countries.