European Neurology 46:4:2001, 206-209.
Krisztina Bencsik, Cecília
Rajda, Judit Füvesi, Péter Klivényi, Tamás Járdánházy,
Margit Török, László Vécsei
Department of Neurology, Faculty
of General Medicine, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical and Pharmaceutical
Center, University of Szeged, Hungary
Abstract
Objective:
The aim of this study was to determine
the prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the population of Csongrád
County, Hungary (400,128 inhabitants) and to determine the functional status
(based on the Expanded Disability Status Scale; EDSS) of the patients according
to the clinical forms of the disease.
Methods:
The diagnosis was established with
the aid of the Poser diagnostic criteria, and the degree of physical disability
was determined using the Kurtzke EDSS.
Results:
In Csongrád County, the prevalence
of MS is 62/100,000. The distribution of patients according to the clinical
forms of MS was as follows: 15% had the benign form, 54% had relapsing-remitting
MS, 20% had secondary chronic progressive MS and 11% had the primary chronic
progressive form of MS. Sixty percent of relapsing-remitting MS patients
had an EDSS score of 0-4 points and 33% had an EDSS score of 4.5-6.5 points.
Conclusion:
The distribution of patients according
to the clinical forms of the disease in this representative population
is comparable to results in other regions of the world.
Copyright © 2001 S. Karger AG,
Basel