Introducing multiple sclerosis registry in Iranian children (ORP-05)

According to previous reports, between 2%-5% of cases with multiple sclerosis (MS) occur before the age of 16. This registry aims at providing a record for clinical and epidemiological features of MS among Iranian children in order to provide diagnostic criteria for policymakers and physicians. The location of the MS registry in Iran is Mofid Children's Hospital affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. To achieve the aims of this study, two phases were considered: phase 1, designing a software for registration of Iranian children with MS. First, a list of variables and methods of registry were provided and entry strategy of the software was developed. Variables  observed at this phase included sex, age, residence area, socio economic status, education, seasonal and geographical incidence  of the disease, familial history among first-degree and second-degree relatives, race and ethnicity, previous history of infectious and immunologic diseases, history of drug use, stress, quality of life considering physical, mental, social and environmental health, onset, frequency of sensory, motor, visual, cerebellar, urinary and brain stem disorders, range of signs and symptoms, diagnostic delay, clinical trend, treatment response, degree of disability, level of consciousness, muscular power, tonicity, DTRs, pyramidal assessment, ophthalmoscopic results, VEP, MRI and CSF results, and definite and probable clinical diagnosis. As conclusion, registry for MS in children in Iran can improve the knowledge of health policy makers on incidence of MS in children throughout the country, the first and most common symptoms of MS in children , raising physicians' awareness about early diagnosis and treatment that consequently reduce  economic, psychological, and psychological burden of the disease.