| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
From the Institute of Neurological Science, University of Catania, Italy.
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. A. Nicoletti, Istituto di Scienze Neurologiche, Università di Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95125 Catania, Italy; e-mail: anicol{at}dimtel.nti.it
OBJECTIVE: An epidemiologic survey was conducted to determine the prevalence and incidence of MS in the city of Catania, Sicily, Italy. Prevalence rate was calculated as point prevalence at January 1,1995, and incidence during 1974 to 1995.
METHODS: The authors studied the frequency of MS in the community of Catania in a population of 333,075 inhabitants according to the 1991 census. The primary sources for the case ascertainment were the neurologic and motor rehabilitation departments, the MS Center, the Italian MS Association, private neurologists, and family doctors. All patients who satisfied the Poser criteria for clinically definite MS, laboratory-supported definite MS, clinically probable MS, and laboratory-supported probable MS were considered prevalent and incident cases.
RESULTS: One hundred ninety-five patients with MS who had had the onset of disease on prevalence day in a population of 333,075 inhabitants were detected. The prevalence rate was 58.5 per 100,000 (95% CI 50.7 to 67.5). Prevalence was higher in women (62.0/100,000) than in men (54.8/100,000). The age-specific prevalence showed a peak in the group aged 35 to 44 (145.1/100,000). From 1975 to 1994, 170 subjects with MS had the clinical onset of the disease. The mean annual incidence was 2.3 per 100,000 (95% CI 2.0 to 2.6). Age-specific incidence showed a peak in the group aged 25 to 34 (6.32/100,000). Incidence for 5-year intervals increased from 1.3 during 1975 to 1979 to 3.9 during 1990 to 1994.
CONCLUSIONS: These prevalence and incidence rates are close to those reported in other similar surveys carried out in Italy and southern Europe.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  A. Alonso and M. A. Hernan Temporal trends in the incidence of multiple sclerosis: A systematic review Neurology, July 8, 2008; 71(2): 129 - 135. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 E. Granieri, C. Monaldini, R. De Gennaro, S. Guttmann, M. Volpini, M. Stumpo, P. Fazio, and I. Casetta Multiple sclerosis in the Republic of San Marino: a prevalence and incidence study Multiple Sclerosis, April 1, 2008; 14(3): 325 - 329. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Dean, T. W. Yeo, A. Goris, C. J. Taylor, R. S. Goodman, M. Elian, A. Galea-Debono, A. Aquilina, A. Felice, M. Vella, et al. HLA-DRB1 and multiple sclerosis in Malta Neurology, January 8, 2008; 70(2): 101 - 105. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Hirtz, D. J. Thurman, K. Gwinn-Hardy, M. Mohamed, A. R. Chaudhuri, and R. Zalutsky How common are the "common" neurologic disorders? Neurology, January 30, 2007; 68(5): 326 - 337. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Nicoletti, F. Patti, S. Lo Fermo, V. Sorbello, E. Reggio, D. Maimone, M. Zappia, and A. Reggio Possible increasing risk of multiple sclerosis in Catania, Sicily Neurology, October 25, 2005; 65(8): 1259 - 1263. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W.T. Mayr, S.J. Pittock, R.L. McClelland, N.W. Jorgensen;, J.H. Noseworthy, and M. Rodriguez Incidence and prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1985-2000 Neurology, November 25, 2003; 61(10): 1373 - 1377. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F Ranzato, P Perini, E Tzintzeva, M Tiberio, M Calabrese, M Ermani, F Davetag, L De Zanche, E Garbin, F Verdelli, et al. Increasing frequency of multiple sclerosis in Padova, Italy: a 30 year epidemiological survey Multiple Sclerosis, August 1, 2003; 9(4): 387 - 392. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
