Epidemiological study of multiple sclerosis in Hong Kong Chinese: questionnaire survey.
OBJECTIVE
To study the epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in Hong Kong Chinese.


METHODS
Cross-sectional questionnaire survey.


METHODS
Neurology and paediatric neurology departments in Hong Kong from January through June 1999.


METHODS
All confirmed multiple sclerosis patients.


METHODS
Demographic data, investigation results, Kurtzke's Expanded Disability Status Scale during the last follow-up visit, number of relapses between 1997 and 1998, and treatments used/currently in use.


RESULTS
Fifty-three Chinese multiple sclerosis patients were identified. The prevalence was thus estimated to be 0.77 per 100,000 population. This low prevalence was also noted in other multiple sclerosis studies from South-East Asia (range, 0.8-4 per 100,000 population). The female to male ratio among the Chinese multiple sclerosis sufferers was 9.6:1, a figure somewhat higher than that reported in the other studies from South-East Asia (range, 3.2-6.6:1). The Chinese multiple sclerosis patients in this study also had a high spinal cord involvement (66%) and a low presence of cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal banding (40%). These findings were different from those in Caucasian multiple sclerosis patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Multiple sclerosis in Hong Kong Chinese has a low prevalence, a high female to male ratio, and a low cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal banding presence.
Lau
K K
KK
Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, Princess Margaret Hospital, 2-10 Princess Margaret Hospital Road, Hong Kong.
Wong
L K S
LK
Li
L S W
LS
Chan
Y W
YW
Li
H L
HL
Wong
V
V
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence