Should we treat pediatric radiologically isolated syndrome? An 18-year follow-up case report

BACKGROUND: Radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) describes asymptomatic individuals with incidental radiologic abnormalities suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS). Much of RIS literature is about adult-onset cases. Treatment of RIS is controversial, especially in pediatric age, but early treatment in selected patients might improve long-term outcomes. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a single RIS patient who followed up for 18 years in our MS center. At first, she was only monitored with follow-up MRIs. Then, as the lesion load increased, she was treated with a first-line disease-modifying treatment (DMT) reaching MRI stability. CONCLUSION: This report highlights how treatment can be an appropriate choice in pediatric forms of RIS.