Acute idiopathic transverse myelitis in children: early predictors of relapse and disability.

OBJECTIVE: To identify early prognostic factors of relapse and disability in children presenting with an acute idiopathic transverse myelitis (TM). METHODS: Ninety-five children with acute idiopathic TM from 2 national European cohorts (France and United Kingdom) of CNS demyelinating diseases in children were identified and studied for early factors that predict relapse and disability using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Sixteen (17%) relapsed, with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 13 (14%) and neuromyelitis optica in 3 (3%). Logistic regression revealed 2 main criteria as risk factors for relapse: female sex (odds ratio [OR] 3.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88-11.78) and presence of associated brain lesions (OR 14.0, 95% CI 2.8-69.3). Twenty-eight (30%) children had a poor outcome defined by a Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale score ≥4 or an American Spinal Injury Association impairment (ASIA) scale