Multiple Sclerosis in Korea: Its Clinical Features and Estimated Prevalence Rate

ABSTRACT

It is well-known that multiple sclerosis (MS) has a higher prevalence rate in occidental countries than in Asia and Africa. In addition to their lower prevalence rate of MS, oriental countries may have different clinical characteristics. It has been shown in the previous studies performed in Japan that there is more frequent involvement of optic nerve and spinal cord during the course of disease. These results were also confirmed by the study of MS in Hawaii which compared orientals with caucasians in their clinical features. In Korea, there has been no estimate for clinical features and prevalence rate of MS except two studies. We performed this study to evaluate the clinical features and estimated prevalence rate based on a series of 50 consecutive cases of MS seen over 8 and a half year-period in the Seoul National University Hospital.