Infantile multiple sclerosis with extensive white matter lesions.

A boy developed a right hemiparesis at 13 months of age which disappeared spontaneously at 19 months. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed extensive low-density areas with left-sided predominance in the white matter at age 17 months. The flash visual evoked potential revealed abnormal findings of wave V. At 20 months of age, paraplegia developed; as it receded 3 months later, a left hemiparesis developed. At that time, computed tomography demonstrated a new low-density area in the right centrum semiovale which disappeared at 28 months of age concomitant with the recovery of the left hemiparesis. Overall, he had experienced 3 independent episodes, 2 of which corresponded to each of the lesions depicted by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Multiple sclerosis was diagnosed at 23 months of age which is earlier than in any previously reported patient. Unlike most typical findings of multiple sclerosis on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging studies, our patient demonstrated extensive white matter lesions.