Prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Bogotá, Colombia.
Among Latin American countries, Colombia is considered a low-risk area for multiple sclerosis (MS) and no studies on MS prevalence have been conducted in any of the country's large urban settings. To fill this gap and assess the prevalence of MS in Bogotá as of December 31, 2002, this study reviewed the clinical records of patients diagnosed with MS in most Bogotá hospitals. This review produced a sample of 296 patients with an MS diagnosis whose reliability was verified by a neurologist with expertise in MS. The total prevalence rate identified for December 2002 was 4.41/100,000 inhabitants (95% CI 3.9-4.9), including a rate of 5.98/100,000 (95% CI 5.2-6.8) for women and 2.71/100,000 (95% CI 2.2-3.3) for men (differences measured at p < 0.001). The prevalence estimates for Bogotá, confirm the city's status as a low-risk area for MS.
Toro
Jaime
J
Department of Neurology, Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia. jaimetorog@cable.net.co
Sarmiento
Olga L
OL
Díaz del Castillo
Adriana
A
Satizábal
Claudia Liliana
CL
Ramírez
Jhon Darwin
JD
Montenegro
Ana Cristina
AC
Góngora
María Carolina
MC
Quiñones
Jairo Alonso
JA
Díaz
Andrés
A
Tobón
Alejandro
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014504:Urban Health