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Título

Clinical and Epidemiological Profile of Patients Diagnosed With Multiple Sclerosis in a Single Center

Resumo

Introduction: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a Central Nervous System demyelinating disease with a varying clinical presentation. Some studies have statistically validated an epidemiological profile regarding prevalence between genders, age of onset, initial symptoms and clinical classification. These studies, however, applied older criteria for classification and diagnostic. There is also a common clinical perception that MS is more frequent among white people. In this context, we investigated the epidemiological profile of MS patients in a single reference center clinic of demyelinating diseases. Objectives: Comparatively evaluate the clinical and epidemiological profile of MS patients in a reference center clinic of demyelinating diseases. Methods: Three articles published on Brain were chosen for comparison. We reviewed the electronic records of patients seen or prescribed in this clinic at least once within the last year (May 17th, 2021 – May 17th, 2022), assessing the following parameters: gender – male or female; age of onset - years; skin color – white, black, brown, yellow or indigenous; initial symptoms – isolated optic neuritis (ION), isolated brainstem/cerebellum dysfunction (IBCD), isolated long tracts dysfunction (ILTD) or combined dysfunction (CD); clinical classification (Lublin’s 2013 classification) – Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS), Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS), Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS) or Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS). We excluded from the study cases which did not meet the McDonald’s 2017 diagnostic criteria for MS, and those without defined initial symptoms. Cases were organized accordingly into Remitting Onset (RRMS and SPMS) or Progressive Onset (PPMS), as they were in the reference studies. All data was organized and individually compared between the three articles before mentioned. Results: In the RRMS subgroup (46 of 54 cases) we found a 2.83:1 F/M Ratio; a 30.24 years mean age (11.85 SD; 1,748 SE); a 26 years median age, and a comparable proportion of initial symptoms – 17.79% ION, 30.43% IBCD, 41.30% ILTD, 10.87% CD. The comparison of other subgroups was hindered by a lack of cases. The skin color of all cases pooled was: 31 brown (57,40%); 18 white (33,33%); 5 black (9,26%). Conclusion: Despite the small case pool, our subpopulation matches the large cohorts’ epidemiological profile, except for the skin color, which could be explained due to Brazilian miscegenation.

Palavras Chave

Multiple Sclerosis; Epidemiology