THE PREVALENCE AND CLINICAL PROFILE OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS IN TIMIS COUNTY, ROMANIA

Abstract

Introduction. Multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease for which correct prevalence and incidence data are mandatory to assess the long term health policy in terms of social and economic burden. The present study aims to evaluate the prevalence of MS and the distribution of clinical MS forms in Timis County, a region inhabited by 3.39% of the Romanian stable population according to the 2011 Romanian census, and is meant as a sample of the national situation. There have been no previous attempts to assess the MS prevalence status in Timis County. Material and methods. This study was conducted in a well-defined geographical area (i.e. the Timis County which lies in the Western region of Romania) exploring the prevalence of MS and the patients’ clinical profile. The information regarding MS patients was obtained using hospital records and the files of the patients treated and followed up in the Romanian National MS Program for treatment of MS. Results. The crude calculated prevalence was 53.6 per 100,000 inhabitants. The F:M ratio was 1.7 corresponding to a number of 220 (65.4%) females and 116 (34.5%) males. Discussions. This study is the first attempt to estimate the prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Timis County as part of an ongoing project of the National Romanian Society of Neurology to build up the Romanian MS Registry and our results indicate higher prevalence values than expected, fact due to an increased diagnostic accuracy provided by clear cut diagnosis criteria and MRI standardized magnetic resonance imagery procedures currently available.