title: Epidemiological characteristics and functional disability of multiple sclerosis patients in Kosovo.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic recurrent neurological disease that affects the Central Nervous System. This study aims to determine epidemiological factors that affect the appearance of MS, such as: incidence, prevalence, mortality, case appearance in accordance with the disease phase RRMS, SPMS, PPMS, gender, age, age group, and EDSS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Deals with analyzing diagnosed and treated patients in the Clinic of Neurology in Prishtina during the period of 2003-2012. The research was conducted through a questionnaire applied in the diagnosed cases of MS. Information on patients was gathered from: history of illness, discharge reports and other relevant documents on MS illness. Clinical and epidemiological-descriptive study methods were used. The acquired results are shown through tables, graphics. Statistical processing was conducted with Microsoft Office Excel.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the total number of doubtful hospitalized cases of demyelinization (644) in the Clinic of Neurology in Prishtina, 412 cases (64%) were diagnosed with MS. For the period of 2003-2012 the prevalence of MS has been 19.6 of patients in 100,000 inhabitants. MS incidence rate was 0.95 of patients in 100,000 inhabitants. MS mortality rate was 0.14 of deceased in 100,000 inhabitants. The ratio female--male is 2.3:1. A larger number of patients fall within the age group of 30-39 years-old. Clinical form trends: RRSM 72.3%, SPSM 22.6%, PPSM 5.1%. The rate of EDSS 78.3% (0-3.5), 14.9% (4-6.5), 6.8% (7-9).
authors.forename: Kamber
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zeqiraj
authors.forename: Jera
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kruja
authors.forename: Serbeze
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kabashi
authors.forename: Sefedin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muçaj
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D063826:Kosovo / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult