title: Clinical characteristics of multiple sclerosis in Kuwait: data from the new MS registry of Amiri Hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study clinical characteristics of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in Kuwait and to collect data on annual relapse rates and disability measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  An MS Registry was created in Amiri Hospital. Demographic, clinical characteristics, and disability measures using Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score at last visit were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data from 218 patients formed the basis of the study cohort. Female to male ratio was 1.95. Mean age of onset of MS was 26.8 years. Seventy-eight percent had a relapsing-remitting course, 9.2% had secondary progressive course, and 2.8% had primary progressive course. The clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) group constituted 10.1%. The mean disease duration was 8 ± 7.2 years. Forty-five percent of patients had ≤5 years of disease duration, followed by 24.3% and 25.2% in the 5-10 and 10-20 years durations. Only 5.5% had MS for >20 years; 77.1% of patients had <1 relapse per year, while 22% had 1-2 relapses per year; 67.89% of patients had EDSS score <4, whereas 17.89% were found to have EDSS of ≥6.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MS in Kuwait predominantly affects female. The mean age of onset and frequency of MS types are comparable to worldwide figures. The annual relapse rates and the EDSS scores were relatively low in our cohort.
authors: Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Amiri Hospital, Kuwait, Kuwait. Alroughani@gmail.com
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Alroughani
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Ashkanani
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Lamdhade
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012008:Recurrence; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*