Prevalence rate of multiple sclerosis in Iraq : a retrospective study

Abstract EN

Multiple sclerosis has a multifactorial etiology, including both genetic and environmental factors. The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence rate of multiple sclerosis in Iraq and to determine the effect of the recent war on the registration of patients with multiple sclerosis in the whole country.

The case collection depended on the multiple sclerosis clinic in Baghdad which is the only multiple sclerosis clinic in Iraq.

This clinic receives patients referred from other centers and clinics in the country where they are reevaluated, registered and treated there, using the Mc Donald criteria in the diagnosis.

The July-2007 population estimate was used in the study The population of Iraq is 27,499,638.

The prevalence day was the fifteenth of July-2007.

The number of patients that were registered at the multiple sclerosis clinic in Baghdad were (1207).

The cranial nerve involvement form 56.42% of the initial symptoms and signs.

Motor weakness is the initial symptom and sign in 32.15%, while the sensory symptoms form only 4.2%.

The cerebrum is the site of multiple sclerosis lesions (byM.R.I.) in 67.2%.

The spinal cord is the site in 21.95%.

Finally the prevalence rate of multiple sclerosis in the whole country is 4.4 /100,000).).)