[The most common conditions in a neurology specialty clinic]

To present the most frequent diagnosis among patients referred for neurological evaluation to estimate their labour capacities at the unit of National Institute of Social Security (INSS), Florianópolis-SC, southern Brazil.

Review of all medical records of 108 patients evaluated between October 97 and May 98. The sample was submitted to judicious medico-legal assessment to define their final diagnosis.

Neurological evaluation disclosed as the commonest disorders, in decreasing order of frequency: epilepsy, rheumatic diseases, psychiatric illnesses, neurological disorders related to chronic alcoholism, head trauma syndrome and cerebrovascular diseases.

Neurological disorders may be responsible for important disability among workers in our society. However, the potential for social rehabilitation, often underestimated, must be considered. Moreover, diverse non-neurological conditions used to be sent for neurological evaluation.