The Prospective Nation-wide Multiple Sclerosis Registry: Interim Analysis of Clinical Data
Department of Neurology, Eulji University College of Medicine, Seoul; Center for Clinical Supports and Multiple Sclerosis Clinic, National Cancer Center, Goyang; Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine,
Department of Neurology, Eulji University College of Medicine, Seoul; Center for Clinical Supports and Multiple Sclerosis Clinic, National Cancer Center, Goyang; Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine,
The changing nosological concept of so-called opticospinal multiple sclerosis (MS) into relapsing neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and the advent of disease-modifying therapy of MS cast the urgent need of epidemiological status of MS and related disorders in Korea. To meet this need, Nation-wide Multiple Sclerosis Registry was set off in 2008. The subject of disorders includes clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), MS, NMO, acute disseminated encephalomyelopathy, and other autoimmune CNS inflammatory disease and the 20 participating hospitals were covered most of geographical territory of Korea. The Registry collected the comprehensive data of patients regarding not only clinical data,but also electrophysiological data, relevant MRI, and serum. Total of 363 patients were enrolled over two years (M:F=1:2.1, onset age, 34.5±12.5 years, disease duration, 4.5±7.0 years). The relative disease distribution of the pool of the first year’s restrospective enrollment (138 patients) was as follows: MS in 59.4%, NMO in 27.5%, recurrent monosymptomatic diseases in 3.6%, and CIS in 5.1%. In contrast, that of the prospective second year’s one (225 patients) showed that the relative proportion of NMO (28.8%) was comparable to that of MS (29.2%) and that patients with recurrent monosymptomatic diseases (16.5%) and CIS (20.3%) comprised a third of the pool. This study shows for the first time that NMO is at least half as frequent as MS in Korea. Further enrollment and longitudinal tracking of the patients as well as radiological and serological data would refine the epidemiological findings and also be a step stone in establishing the clinical guideline of diagnosis and management of CNS demyelinating disorders in Korea.
Journal of Multiple Sclerosis 1(2):52-58, 2010
