title: Primary progressive multiple sclerosis: clinical and paraclinical characteristics with application of the new diagnostic criteria.
abstract: The aim of our study was to analyse clinical and paraclinical characteristics of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with previous diagnosis of primary-progressive (PP) MS according to the Poser's criteria and further investigate if they fulfil the McDonald's diagnostic criteria for this disorder. A total of 561 MS patients were registered in the database at the Institute of Neurology, Belgrade, from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2000 and 63 of them (11.2%) with previous diagnosis of PPMS were analysed retrospectively. Male/female ratio was 1.3:1 and mean age at onset 33.2 years. Most frequent at onset were pyramidal (in 73% of patients) and sensory symptoms (in 41% of patients); 74.6% of patients had greater than or equal to nine brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions. Intrathecal oligoclonal immunoglobulin G (IgG) was detected in 96.7% and prolonged visual evoked potentials (VEP) P100 latency in 82.4% of patients. Of the total study group of 561 patients, 10.2% fulfilled the recently recommended McDonald's diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis of PPMS. Our findings further support the significance of the brain/spinal cord MRI, cerebrospinal fluid and VEP findings for precise diagnostic assessment in patients with suspected PP form of MS.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, University of Belgrade, School of Medicine, Dr Subotića, Belgrade, Yugoslavia. irdujm@EUnet.yu
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dujmović
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mesaros
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pekmezović
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lević
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drulović
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016208:Databases, Factual; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020528:Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G