title: Clinical features of multiple sclerosis in the south of Brazil: a partial analysis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. afinkels@portoweb.com.br
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Finkelsztejn
authors.forename: Rafael do Amaral
authors.initials: Rdo A
authors.lastname: Cristovam
authors.forename: Gisele Silva de
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.forename: Mariah Graziani de Souza Mello
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: Aline Vitali da
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Marcio Severo
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Caroline Miotto Menegat
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Cola
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Bastiani
authors.forename: Lísia Barros
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Amanda Lucas
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: da Costa
authors.forename: Silvete Maria Brandão
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Thirzá Baptista
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Frison
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D000068717:Glatiramer Acetate; D016899:Interferon-beta