Tanuja Chitnis, MD: Differentiating Pediatric MS From Other Demyelinating Disorders

“It’s very important to understand the differences between these different types of demyelinating or neuroinflammatory disorders which can present in somewhat similar ways.”

At the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) 2019 Forum in Dallas, Texas, Tanuja Chitnis, MD, offered her colleagues and peers findings from work regarding the clinical decision-making process in the treatment of pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS).

She highlighted the major points of which clinicians treating children and teenagers with MS should be aware, noting that there is a broad differential that emerges in any child with a demyelinating disorder such as pediatric MS, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, and MOG antibody-associated diseases. While the understanding of the pathogeneses of these disorders is increased, knowing the differences has become essential as the treatment plans vary.

The professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School also provided some advice for clinicians treating pediatric patients with MS and shared her insight regarding her experiences with NeurologyLive in an interview.