Clinical and epidemiological profile of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in Joao Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil

Prevalence rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) suggest an interrelationship between genetic and environmental factors, ranging worldwide. Objectives: Clinical and epidemiological characterization of MS patients in Joao Pessoa, Paraiba city. Methods: Study involving patients treated in five services in the city. Results: It included 87 patients with MS, representing a prevalence of 12.0 cases/100,000 population, mainly women (77%) and white people (66.7%) with mean age of 43 years and average age of the first outbreak of 32.2 years. Motor symptoms (65.5%) and relapsing-remitting clinical form (78.2%) predominated; the average of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores was 3.5 and 72% used a type of immunomodulatory drug. There was a positive correlation between the number of outbreaks and the duration of the disease with EDSS scores. Conclusions: The prevalence of the disease is considered average. The clinical and epidemiological characteristics are in line with most similar Brazilian studies.