IMPORTANCE: Multiple sclerosis can also affect children. Approximately 3-10% of patients develop multiple sclerosis before the age of 16. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this analysis is to describe the characteristics of pediatric patients with multiple sclerosis who started their treatment with disease-modifying drugs in 2013-2020, with data obtained from the Czech National Registry of patients with multiple sclerosis. DESIGN AND SETTING: A method of retrospective analysis conducted with 134 pediatric patients with multiple sclerosis was used. RESULTS: The findings reveal that the mean age at the date of the introduction of the first disease-modifying drugs treatment is 15.89 years, and gender does not play any role. In addition, moderate (51.6%) and mild (45.2%) relapses are predominant in these young patients. Seventy five percent of patients will not experience a confirmed progression of the expanded disability status scale within 54.7 months from starting the treatment. Furthermore, the results confirm that the first-choice treatment is interferon beta-a and glatiramer acetate, which is common for adult patients. However, some factors, such as a low efficacy or a lack of tolerance may impact on treatment discontinuation in children. CONCLUSION: More research should be performed on novel disease-modifying drugs for this target group.

3rd Faculty of Medicine Charles University and Hospital Kralovské Vinohrady Charles University Prague Czechia

Clinic of Neurology University Hospital Ostrava Ostrava Czechia

Department of Neurology 2nd Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague Czechia

Department of Neurology Faculty of Medicine Palacky University and University Hospital Olomouc Olomouc Czechia

Department of Neurology Faculty of Medicine University Hospital Plzen Charles University Plzen Czechia

Department of Neurology Hospital of Jihlava Jihlava Czechia

Department of Neurology KZ a s Hospital Teplice Teplice Czechia

Department of Neurology Tomas Bata Regional Hospital Zlín Czechia

Department of Neurology University Hospital Hradec Kralove Hradec Kralove Czechia

Department of Neurology University Hospital Masaryk University Brno Czechia

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