{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,17]],"date-time":"2026-06-17T15:47:22Z","timestamp":1781711242991,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,5]],"date-time":"2024-05-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1714867200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003725","name":"Korean government (MSIT)","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2021R1A2C1013206"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2021R1A2C1013206"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003725","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Children"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO) are rare acquired demyelinating syndrome with limited epidemiological data available, particularly in non-Western setting. This study aimed to demonstrate the epidemiology of pediatric MS and NMO in South Korea and to analyze of healthcare utilization and economic burden associated with these conditions. Using a nationwide population-based database from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database, we identified pediatric cases (age &lt; 20 years) of MS and NMO from 2016 to 2020. We analyzed incidence, prevalence, healthcare utilization and medical costs. The study found low age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates for pediatric MS and NMO in South Korea. There was a marked disparity in healthcare utilization between urban and rural areas. Most healthcare interactions occurred in tertiary hospitals in urban settings, particularly in Seoul. The study also highlighted the substantial economic burden associated with the management of rare diseases, with annual variability in medical costs. Pediatric MS and NMO are extremely rare in South Korea, with significant regional disparity in healthcare utilization. The findings emphasize the need for targeted healthcare policies to improve access and reduce disparities, particularly for chronic and rare diseases requiring specialized care.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/children11050553","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,6]],"date-time":"2024-05-06T15:05:01Z","timestamp":1715007901000},"page":"553","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Epidemiology and Healthcare Utilization in Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Neuromyelitis Optica: A Nationwide Population-Based Study in South Korea (2016\u20132020)"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1407-3441","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hyewon","family":"Woo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Junho","family":"Hwang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of pediatrics, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul 06973, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6164-8706","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sun Ah","family":"Choi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of pediatrics, Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Seoul 07985, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Soo Ahn","family":"Chae","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of pediatrics, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul 06973, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"653","DOI":"10.1016\/S1474-4422(21)00095-8","article-title":"2021 MAGNIMS-CMSC-NAIMS consensus recommendations on the use of MRI in patients with multiple sclerosis","volume":"20","author":"Wattjes","year":"2021","journal-title":"Lancet Neurol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1022","DOI":"10.1212\/WNL.0000000000000768","article-title":"Atlas of Multiple Sclerosis 2013: A growing global problem with widespread inequity","volume":"83","author":"Browne","year":"2014","journal-title":"Neurology"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"432","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2018.00432","article-title":"Multiple Sclerosis in the Asia Pacific Region: A Systematic Review of a Neglected Neurological Disease","volume":"9","author":"Cheong","year":"2018","journal-title":"Front. 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