Multiple sclerosis among Orientals and Caucasians in Hawaii: a reappraisal.

A comparative retrospective study of Oriental and Caucasian patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) failed to reveal significant differences between the two groups regarding historical data, such as sex ratio, mode of onset, age at onset, duration of illness, and clinical course, suggesting that MS is essentially the same disease in both groups. However, certain clinical features were more frequent in Orientals: Severe bilateral optic nerve involvement; acute transverse myelopathy, especially of a recurrent nature; clear-cut sensory levels; and optic-spinal-brainstem and optic-spinal involvement. Environmental factors may also be responsible.