Researchers Evaluate Clinical Course Of Progressive MS In Brazilian Patients
Research indicates that the clinical course of progressive multiple sclerosis among Brazilian patients is comparable to the clinical course of MS in other geographical areas.
Previous studies have suggested that MS is more likely to occur in cold-weather areas such as northern Europe,the northern United States, and Canada. To assess the clinical course and outcomes of progressive MS in the warm-weather country of Brazil, researchers utilized the medical records of 238 MS patients.
Overall, 26 cases (10.9 percent) met the criteria for progressive MS. Of these, 5.8 percent of the patients were diagnosed with primary progressive MS and 5 percent had relapsing progressive MS. The group included 19 white patients and seven non-white patients. The average age at MS onset was 34 years.
The investigators also found that the non-white patients had an earlier onset of disease than did the white patients. The most common symptoms at disease onset were pyramidal (89 percent) and cerebellar (34.6 percent) manifestations. The pyramidal system helps the body make discrete movements while the cerebellum is a part of the brain that regulates balance and coordination of movements.
After an average of 11.3 years of disease duration, more than 50 percent of the subjects experienced disease involvement in most of their functional systems. The researchers did not note any statistically significant differences in the clinical course or outcomes between the patients with primary progressive MS or relapsing progressive MS.
"The clinical course and outcome of progressive MS in Brazil, a tropical country with low prevalence, were very similar to those in the MS high-prevalence areas," the authors concluded.
This study was published May 16 online, ahead of print by the journal Neuroepidemiology.
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