About the MS and Neuroinflammatory Disorders Clinic
The Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Neuroinflammatory Disorders Clinic at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) cares for children with multiple sclerosis and other neuroinflammatory disorders and is part of the CHOP-PENN Age-Span NeuroImmune Program.
Founded in 2005, the clinic is recognized as a Partner in MS Care – Center for Comprehensive Care by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, offering cutting-edge clinical care, diagnosis, and research into neuroinflammatory disorders in children. The program is led by world-renowned experts in MS and related disorders, and offers multidisciplinary care, including inpatient and day medicine infusion therapies, for children affected by these conditions.
Here at CHOP, your child will have access to a dedicated team of highly-trained child neurologists, MS-certified nurses, and therapists. As part of the CHOP-PENN Age-Span NeuroImmune Program, our clinic is designed to support your child’s needs from the time of diagnosis until the time they transition to adult care. At every stage, we’re seeking ways to improve treatment options for MS and other pediatric neuroinflammatory disorders. Our team is internationally known for research discoveries surrounding the causes, immune features, treatment and clinical outcomes of these disorders.
Conditions we treat
If your child has been diagnosed with any of the following conditions, or has symptoms of another neuroinflammatory or demyelinating disease, please contact us — we are here to help.
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
- Optic neuritis (ON)
- Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD)
- Transverse myelitis (TM)
- Anti-MOG (myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein) related disease
- Opsoclonus myoclonus ataxia syndrome (OMSAS)
- Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM)
- Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis (NMDARE)
- Autoimmune encephalitis
- Cerebral vasculitis (CNS vasculitis)
An expert team for your child’s care
In the Pediatric MS and Neuroinflammatory Disorders Clinic, your child’s core care team will include a dedicated pediatric neurologist and nurse. Other team members may include physicians in training (residents, fellows, medical students), and an occupational therapist, physical therapist and social worker as needed. We work in close partnership with other specialties within CHOP — such neuro-ophthalmology, radiology, urology, pain management and neuropsychiatry — in order to coordinate individualized care for your child.
We feel that research is an essential part of the care that we provide in the Pediatric MS and Neuroinflammatory Disorders Clinic. During most visits a research coordinator will be available to provide information about current studies for which your child may be eligible.
Life-long care for children with MS and related disorders
As your child approaches adulthood, we are here to support you to ensure a seamless transition of care.
The CHOP-PENN Age-Span NeuroImmune Program, a collaboration between CHOP and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, is a unique program that offers age-span care for all individuals with MS from childhood through adulthood.
Pediatric MS research
Our main research focus is on the identification of genetic and environmental risk factors for pediatric MS.
We have a multicenter study evaluating clinical features at onset as well as outcomes, and we offer advanced neuroimaging to better understand the impact of MS and neuroinflammatory disorders in the brain, optic nerves and spinal cord. Our NeuroImmune laboratory, consisting of an expert neuroimmunology team led by Amit Bar-Or, MD, is providing exciting new insights into the biology of these diseases.
Faculty in our section are involved in key national and international projects studying the natural history, pathophysiology, and outcome of other neuroinflammatory disorders, including optic neuritis, autoimmune encephalitis, and transverse myelitis. We have taken a leadership role in the investigation of acute flaccid myelitis, and in developing guidelines for clinical care.
We believe that an emphasis on research is integral to caring for children with MS and rare neuroinflammatory conditions. From our involvement in clinical trials to understanding how pediatric MS and neuroinflammatory disorders effect quality of life, the desire to provide the best care possible drives everything that we do.
