BACKGROUND: Few population based studies on multiple sclerosis have been published from India. There is an increasing demand to establish a nationwide MS registry in India especially in view of the percieved increased incidence and prevalence. OBJECTIVES: To create a registry data base for all MS patients presenting at our institute and understand the disease characteristics in our population and compare them with the published reports from the west. METHODS: MS was diagnosed on the basis of clinical and imaging features (Revised McDonald׳s criteria 2010). Demographics, clinical data, treatment details and disease behavior were recorded over a follow up of one year. Descriptive analyses was performed. RESULTS: 101 patients (61 females) were recruited in the study period from June 2011 to December 2012. Mean age of the patients at the time of presentation was 33.3±9.2 years and mean duration of illness was 5.98±4.95. 68.4% patients had RRMS, 16.8% had SPMS whereas 14.8% patients had PPMS. Site(s) involved in first relapse was spinal cord in 43.7% patients followed by brainstem 25.3% and optic nerve in 24.1% patients. Mean number of relapses were 3.26±2.026. Mean EDSS at the time of presentation was 3.20±2.11. Overall, 55.44% patients took DMT at some point during their course of disease. No significant differences were observed between our patient characteristics when compared to publications from west. CONCLUSION: Demographic data in the present study are comparable to those reported in population-based epidemiological studies from west. A nationwide registry network will help establish stronger data on incidence, prevalence and disease profile of MS in India.
BACKGROUND: Few population based studies on multiple sclerosis have been published from India. There is an increasing demand to establish a nationwide MS registry in India especially in view of the percieved increased incidence and prevalence. OBJECTIVES: To create a registry data base for all MS patients presenting at our institute and understand the disease characteristics in our population and compare them with the published reports from the west. METHODS: MS was diagnosed on the basis of clinical and imaging features (Revised McDonald׳s criteria 2010). Demographics, clinical data, treatment details and disease behavior were recorded over a follow up of one year. Descriptive analyses was performed. RESULTS: 101 patients (61 females) were recruited in the study period from June 2011 to December 2012. Mean age of the patients at the time of presentation was 33.3±9.2 years and mean duration of illness was 5.98±4.95. 68.4% patients had RRMS, 16.8% had SPMS whereas 14.8% patients had PPMS. Site(s) involved in first relapse was spinal cord in 43.7% patients followed by brainstem 25.3% and optic nerve in 24.1% patients. Mean number of relapses were 3.26±2.026. Mean EDSS at the time of presentation was 3.20±2.11. Overall, 55.44% patients took DMT at some point during their course of disease. No significant differences were observed between our patient characteristics when compared to publications from west. CONCLUSION: Demographic data in the present study are comparable to those reported in population-based epidemiological studies from west. A nationwide registry network will help establish stronger data on incidence, prevalence and disease profile of MS in India.