title: Clinical characteristics and outcome of multiple sclerosis in Korea: does multiple sclerosis in Korea really differ from that in the Caucasian populations?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple sclerosis (MS) in Asia is thought to have different clinical characteristics from MS in Western countries; however, previous studies in Asia were performed without properly differentiating neuromyelitis optica (NMO) from MS.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical characteristics of MS in Korea after careful exclusion of potential explanations other than MS, particularly NMO spectrum disorder (NMOSD).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a retrospective review of consecutive MS patients attending five referral hospitals in Korea. All patients' MS diagnoses were re-evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 105 patients, 70 were female and 35 were male. The mean age of onset was 30.4 years and the mean disease duration was 5.4 years. On initial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 58% and 64% fulfilled the criteria for dissemination in space for the 2005 and 2010 McDonald criteria, respectively. Spinal cord lesions were observed in 78% of patients, primarily present as multiple small lesions with a mean length of 0.9 vertebral segments. The median time from disease onset to an Expanded Disability Status Scale 6 was 20 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After careful exclusion of NMOSD, we found that the clinical pattern of MS in Korea does not fundamentally differ from that seen in Western countries.
authors: Department of Neurology, Research Institute and Hospital of National Cancer Center, Goyang-si, Korea.
authors: Su-Hyun
authors: SH
authors: Kim
authors: So-Young
authors: SY
authors: Huh
authors: Woojun
authors: W
authors: Kim
authors: Min Su
authors: MS
authors: Park
authors: Suk-Won
authors: SW
authors: Ahn
authors: Joong-Yang
authors: JY
authors: Cho
authors: Byung Jo
authors: BJ
authors: Kim
authors: Ho Jin
authors: HJ
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D044466:Asian People; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors
keywords: Asia; Korea; Multiple sclerosis; beta-interferon; clinical characteristics; epidemiology; neuromyelitis optica; optic-spinal multiple sclerosis