[Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in Bosnia and Herzegovina]

In order to examine precipitating factors for occurrence of multiple sclerosis or inception of a relapse in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis a specially designed questionnaire was used, including history records of patients with multiple sclerosis treated at the Clinic of Neurology of the Clinical Center of Sarajevo in the period between January1st and December 31st 2006. The number of patients with MS was 71 (48 women and 23 men). An infection as a precipitating factor was noted in 21 (29.57%) cases, stress was noted in 12 patients (16.9%) whereas 43 patients (60,12%) had the RR type of the disease. Nine patients were treated with interferon therapy (12.67%) and 47 patients (66.1%) with high doses of metilpredinisolone . Depression disorder was noted in 23 (32.9%) patients whereas 7 patients had cognitive dysfunction (9.86%). Results of this study, which have shown epidemiological characteristics of multiple sclerosis for the first time in Bosnia and Herzegovina, indicate that there is a need to create a unified register of patients and to request compliance with therapeutic guidelines.