title: The profile of patients followed at the Neuroimmunology Clinic at UNIFESP: 20 years analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the clinical activities at the Neuroimmunology Clinic of the Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) from 1994 to 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  The final diagnosis of all patients that attended the center was reviewed and established upon specific guidelines for each disease. The number of total appointments and extra clinical activities (reports and prescriptions) were also analyzed, as are part of routine activities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1,599 patients attended the Clinic from 1994 to 2013: 816 with multiple sclerosis (MS), 172 with clinical isolated syndromes, 178 with neuromyelitis optica (NMO), 216 with other demyelinating disease, 20 with metabolic disorder, 42 with a vascular disease and 155 with other or undetermined diagnosis. A mean 219 outpatient visits and 65 extra clinical activities were performed monthly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We identified that 15% of patients seen have NMO. As patients with NMO have a more severe disease than MS, this data may be important for planning local health care policies.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Denis Bernardi
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Bichuetti
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alessandra Billi
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Falcão
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda de Castro
authors.initials: Fde C
authors.lastname: Boulos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marilia Mamprim de
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Morais
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Claudia Beatriz de Campos
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lotti
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Manuela de Oliveira
authors.initials: Mde O
authors.lastname: Fragomeni
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nilton Amorim de
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Enedina Maria Lobato
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Oliveira
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology