title: [Multiple sclerosis: study of patients with relapsing-remitting form registered at Minas Gerais Secretary of State for Health].
abstract: Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. The recommended treatment for the relapsing-remitting form is carried out with the immunomodulatory drugs, which are provided, in Belo Horizonte, by Minas Gerais Secretary of State for Health (MG/SSH). We analyzed data of 283 patients registered at Exceptional Drug Program (immunomodulators) of SES/MG from May to October 2004. There was predominance of females (3.7:1) and the mean age was 38.4 +/-10.7 years old. The first clinical manifestations were 29.7+/-10.2 years old. The initial symptoms included sensorial (46.4%), visual (33.1%), brainstem/cerebellar syndromes (30.1%) and motor (pyramidal) syndrome (25.9%). The symptoms observed in subsequent relapses were motor (22.3%), brainstem/cerebellar syndromes (18.9%), visual (18.9%) and sensorial findings (9.6%). In 234 brain MRI and 109 spine MRI there were demyelinating lesions at 97.4% and 85.3% respectively. We compared our findings with other series described on Brazilian literature.
authors.affiliation: Coordenadoria de Alta Complexidade, Diretoria de Redes Assistenciais, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de Minas Gerais, Rua Domingos Vieira 273/907, 30150-240 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. ecsantos@fcs.fumec.br
authors.forename: Eustáquio Claret dos
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Mitico
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.forename: Nádia Fernanda Rezende
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Dias
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors