[Epidemiology of 118 cases of multiple sclerosis after 15 years of follow-up on the reference center of Hospital da Restauração, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil].
The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) has a considerable variability all over the world. According to Kurtzke, South America is considered to have low prevalence (minor than 5 cases: 100000 habitants).


OBJECTIVE
To describe the MS epidemiology on a reference center, compared to eight Brazilian series.


METHODS
according to a descriptive, prospective, longitudinal, prevalence study, we analyzed data of 118 patients, who attended at the Reference Center for Attention to Patients with Demielinizating Diseases of Hospital da Restauração (CRAPPDD-HR)-Recife-Pernambuco, Brazil, from January 1987 to March 2002, to have MS diagnosed according to Poser criteria.


RESULTS
The patients were followed up by 1 to 15 years. Ninety five (80.5%) patients were in treatment with immune-modulators. The prevalence was 1,36:100000 habitants. We have identified: predominance of mulattoes (110,93.2%), 82 (82.2%) cases clinically defined, 15 (12.7%) cases laboratorial defined and 6 (5.1%) cases clinically probable; a number of maximum bouts equal to 46; more frequent mild EDSS for patients with 1 to 10 years of MS of remittent-recurrent (RR) form. Gender rate of 83 cases of RR form was equivalent to the general one, however on RR with secondary progressive form form, the rate was 2.5 times greater for females than for males, and on primary progressive form, 5.5 times greater for males.


CONCLUSIONS
Although some results of this research had been similar to that of eight studies used as standards for comparison, the differences will require new approaches.
Ferreira
Maria Lúcia Brito
ML
Serviço de Neurologia, Centro de Referência para Atenção ao Paciente Portador de Doença Desmielizante, Hospital da Restauração, Recife, PE, Brazil. lucabrito@uol.com.br
Machado
Maria Iris Moraes
MI
Vilela
Maria Lúcia
ML
Guedes
Maria José
MJ
Ataíde
Luis
L
Santos
Silvana
S
Laurentino
Sílvia Gomes
SG
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D015981:Epidemiologic Factors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors