Clinical features of multiple sclerosis in the south of Brazil: a partial analysis.
There are no published studies on the characteristics of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients from the south of Brazil.


OBJECTIVE
To identify the clinical features of a series of MS patients and to compare to other Brazilian series.


METHODS
Retrospective study with 67 patients followed in The MS Reference Center - RS, Brazil during the year of 2008. We analyzed demographic and clinical data.


RESULTS
Most were women (74.6%), the general average age was 43.5 years old, and the general average EDSS score was 4.1. Of those patients, 81.8% had relapsing-remitting MS. Sexual dysfunction prevalence was 31.1% in men and 68.9% in women (p<0.01). We found a positive correlation (Spearman=0.444, p<0.05) between EDSS and depressive symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed a very similar sample compared to other states of Brazil. Moreover, there was found a high prevalence of sexual dysfunction and a straight relation between EDSS and depressive symptoms.
Finkelsztejn
Alessandro
A
Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. afinkels@portoweb.com.br
Cristovam
Rafael do Amaral
Rdo A
Moraes
Gisele Silva de
GS
Lopes
Mariah Graziani de Souza Mello
MG
Silva
Aline Vitali da
AV
Garcia
Marcio Severo
MS
Cola
Caroline Miotto Menegat
CM
Bastiani
Carlos Eduardo
CE
Ferreira
Lísia Barros
LB
da Costa
Amanda Lucas
AL
Schneider
Silvete Maria Brandão
SM
Frison
Thirzá Baptista
TB
D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D000068717:Glatiramer Acetate; D006801:Humans; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D010455:Peptides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000209:etiology
D010455:Peptides; D000068717:Glatiramer Acetate; D016899:Interferon-beta