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Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) in the pediatric population is rare; however, it is estimated that up to 5% of MS patients experience childhood onset. In addition to specific diagnostic criteria, the exclusion of other diseases is a mainstay in diagnosing MS. Infectious diseases can have a similar presentation to MS with regard to neurologic symptoms and radiologic findings and, ultimately, are an important alternative consideration that must be ruled out in order to satisfy the “no better explanation” caveat for the diagnosis of MS. In this chapter, a case presentation of Histoplasma capsulatum in an adolescent boy is reviewed in order to highlight the difficulties in making the correct diagnosis based on clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings.

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Correspondence to Jennifer Martelle Tu M.D., Ph.D. .

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Tu, J.M., Waubant, E. (2017). Infectious Mimics of Multiple Sclerosis. In: Waubant, E., Lotze, T. (eds) Pediatric Demyelinating Diseases of the Central Nervous System and Their Mimics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61407-6_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61407-6_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-61405-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-61407-6

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