Clinical and epidemiological profile of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil.
Prevalence rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) suggest an interrelationship between genetic and environmental factors, ranging worldwide.Objectives Clinical and epidemiological characterization of MS patients in João Pessoa, Paraíba city.Methods Study involving patients treated in five services in the city.Results It included 87 patients with MS, representing a prevalence of 12.0 cases/100,000 population, mainly women (77%) and white people (66.7%) with mean age of 43 years and average age of the first outbreak of 32.2 years. Motor symptoms (65.5%) and relapsing-remitting clinical form (78.2%) predominated; the average of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores was 3.5 and 72% used a type of immunomodulatory drug. There was a positive correlation between the number of outbreaks and the duration of the disease with EDSS scores.Conclusions The prevalence of the disease is considered average. The clinical and epidemiological characteristics are in line with most similar Brazilian studies.
Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, BR.
André Augusto Lemos Vidal de
AA
Negreiros
Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, BR.
Rilva Lopes de
RL
Sousa-Munõz
Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, BR.
Bianca Etelvina Santos de
BE
Oliveira
Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, BR.
Paulo Virgolino da
PV
Nóbrega
Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, BR.
Laíse Leilane Dias
LL
Monteiro
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors