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[A review of the epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in Mexico]
M de la Maza1, J García, J Bernal
1Servicio de Neurología, Hospital San José de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina Ignacio A. Santos, Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, México.
Objective:
To review the epidemiological information on multiple sclerosis in Mexico.
Development And Conclusions:
The results of the few epidemiological studies on multiple sclerosis show a prevalence of 1.5/100,000 inhabitants, a figure which is not in concordance with studies carried out by institutions, which indicates an increase in the frequency of new cases. This information is not necessarily due to a true increase in prevalence. Possibly this increase is related to improved methodology for clinical and paraclinical diagnosis, especially the use of magnetic resonance. There is a need for descriptive and analytical epidemiological studies to obtain precise data on this. At present, the Mexican Group for the study of Multiple Sclerosis and The Mexican Association for the study of Multiple Sclerosis are using a questionnaire designed and validated for Mexico in order to determine the clinical characteristics and the prevalence of multiple sclerosis. The results will be available in the near future to improve knowledge regarding the epidemiology of this disorder and its economic impact on the Mexican health systems.