Prevalence of Multiple Sclerosis Door-to-Door Survey in Maltepe, Istanbul, Turkey

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Istanbul, Turkey, is unknown. We investigated the prevalence of MS in the district of Maltepe, Istanbul, Turkey. Methods: This was a cross-sectional field research study using door-to-door sampling. Maltepe is a district of Istanbul beside the sea of Marmara (population 359,298 from 2000 census). The two-phase study screened 32,531 subjects using the Poser criteria for clinical diagnosis. The χ² test was used for analyses of frequency distributions. Results: 33 of 32,531 people were diagnosed with MS. Their average age was 41 ± 12.0 years (43 ± 12.7 years for females and 37 ± 9.6 years for males). The prevalence of MS in Maltepe was 101.4/100,000 within the total population (118.7/100,000 in the female and 76.0/100,000 in the male populations). Conclusions: The prevalence rates of MS in the Turkish population living in a district of Istanbul are considerably higher than we thought. And the prevalence rate is much higher than neighboring countries. They are similar to those recently recorded in Sicily and Germany. These figures suggest that the prevalence rate of MS is not totally dependent upon geographical variation. However, the research of our results needs to be confirmed with further investigations in order to determine the prevalence of MS in Turkey with confidence.

Trends of multiple sclerosis in Nineveh province

“…In this study the prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Nineveh was recorded to be (4.72/100,000) and this is nearly similar to the figure provided by Atlas of Multiple Sclerosis Resources in the World 2008 by WHO which estimates the prevalence of MS in Iraq to be in the range of (5.01-20) 10 . On the other hand, this result is significantly lower than what was reported in a study conducted in Istanbul in Turkey by Ülkü Türk Börü, et al 11 In this study, it was found that the mean age of onset of disease in Nineveh Governorate was (30.95) years and this figure is comparable to the figure of Iraqi study by Al-Araji A, et al 15 (29.2) years.…”

Prevalence of Multiple Sclerosis in the Middle Black Sea Region of Turkey and Demographic Characteristics of Patients

“…The number of studies on the prevalence of MS in Turkey is limited. In a door-to-door study conducted in Maltepe district of Istanbul, the prevalence of MS was 101.4/100,000 (4). In a door-todoor study conducted in Erbaa district of Tokat province, which is located in the Middle Black Sea Region, the prevalence of MS was 53.2/100,000 (5).…”

Management of lower urinary tract dysfunction in multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and Turkish consensus report

“…Reported prevalence rates of the disease vary between 40 and 220 per 100,000 in different areas in Europe and similar rates in North America, with even higher rates in the northern areas . Reported MS prevalence rates vary between 33.9 and 101.4 per 100,000 in two different regions of the western part of Turkey . A more recent study in a rural area near Istanbul found this rate to be 51 per 100,000, probably a more accurate rate for the Turkish population .…”