title: Multiple sclerosis in Pakistan.
abstract: We describe retrospective data from the largest series of patients (n=142) with multiple sclerosis (MS) from Pakistan. Mean age at onset was 27 years, with a female to male ratio of 1.45:1. The disease onset was polysymptomatic in 75% patients. Motor weakness was the most common onset symptom (70%), followed by sensory symptoms (45%). Optico-spinal type of MS was seen in only 3% of patients The course was relapsing-remitting (RR) in 81%, primary progressive (PP) in 21%, and secondary progressive (SP) in 4% of patients. Almost three-fourths of the patients were moderately (45%) or severely (31%) disabled at the time of evaluation. Two-thirds of patients with severe disability had a mean disease duration of only 5.2 years. In conclusion, MS is not uncommon in Pakistan, and many patients were found to have severe disability despite short disease duration.
authors.affiliation: The Aga Khan University, and Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. mohammad.wasay@aku.edu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wasay
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Khatri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asif
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zakiullah
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Khealani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haq
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fredrikson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020528:Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D013256:Steroids; D016899:Interferon-beta; D008942:Mitoxantrone; D008727:Methotrexate