High Prevalence and Fast Rising Incidence of Multiple Sclerosis in Caltanissetta, Sicily, Southern Italy

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Background: Epidemiological studies conducted in Sicily and Sardinia, the two major Mediterranean islands, showed elevated incidence and prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) and a recent increase in disease frequency. Objective: To confirm the central highlands of Sicily as areas of increasing MS prevalence and elevated incidence, we performed a fol- low-up study based on the town of Caltanissetta (Sicily), southern Italy. Methods: We made a formal diagnostic reap- praisal of all living patients found in the previous study per- formed in 1981. All possible information sources were used to search for patients affected by MS diagnosed according to the Poser criteria. We calculated prevalence ratios, for pa- tients affected by MS who were living and resident in the study area on December 31, 2002. Crude and age- and sex- specific incidence ratios were computed for the period from January 1, 1993, to December 31, 2002. Results: The preva- lence of definite MS rose in 20 years from 69.2 (retrospective prevalence rate) to 165.8/100,000 population. We calculated the incidence of definite MS for the period 1970-2000. These rates calculated for 5-year periods increased from 2.3 to