title: Prevalence of multiple sclerosis: door-to-door survey in three rural areas of coastal Black Sea regions of Turkey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little information exists on multiple sclerosis (MS) in Turkey. With a door-to-door survey in an urban part of Istanbul, we recently reported a prevalence rate of 101/100,000 population. We therefore investigated three rural areas of Turkey at the same latitude.
  
  
  METHODS
  The same survey methods were used for total populations of two rural areas (Kandıra and Geyve) near Istanbul, and for half the population of Erbaa, all near 40° north latitude on the Black Sea coast.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In Kandıra, 5 of 8 suspects were diagnosed as having MS among 8,171 screened, resulting in a prevalence rate of 61/100,000. Geyve with 7 MS cases in 17,016 screened had a prevalence of 41/100,000, and Erbaa with 15 MS cases in 28,177 screened one of 53/100,000. Together they showed a prevalence of 51/100,000. Of the 27 patients, 20 were women; 25 had definite and 2 possible MS, the former all with abnormal laboratory findings. Average ages were 30.5 years at onset and 39.1 years at diagnosis. Clinical features and course were typical of European MS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that Turkey is a high-risk MS area, similar to most regions of Mediterranean Europe, where all recent increases are likely due to (undefined) environmental factors.
authors: Neurology Clinic, Dr. Lütfi Kindar Kartal Training and Research Hospital, Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. uturkboru@hotmail.com
authors: Ulkü Türk
authors: UT
authors: Börü
authors: Mustafa
authors: M
authors: Taşdemir
authors: Neşe
authors: N
authors: Güler
authors: Elif Dilaver
authors: ED
authors: Ayık
authors: Ayşegül
authors: A
authors: Kumaş
authors: Serhan
authors: S
authors: Yıldırım
authors: Arda
authors: A
authors: Duman
authors: Haydar
authors: H
authors: Sur
authors: John F
authors: JF
authors: Kurtzke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D059038:Black Sea; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012306:Risk; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology