An epidemiological study of multiple sclerosis in central Sardinia, Italy

Objectives - To verify morbidity estimates in central Sardinia, Italy. Meth ods - A prevalence study was performed in the province of Nuoro, Central Sa rdinia, which has a population of 273,768 inhabitants (135,383 men and 138, 385 women). A complete enumeration approach was adopted by using all possib le case-collection sources. Results - On prevalence day, December 31, 1993, 394 subjects (124 men and 270 women) living in the study area were known t o suffer from definite and probable MS, giving a crude prevalence rate of 1 43.9 cases per 100,000 people, 91.6 for males and 195.11 for females. The c rude prevalence estimated on December 31, 1985, based on 282 MS cases alive in the study area, was 102.94 per 100,000. Conclusion - This study reinfor ced central Sardinia's position as a high and rising prevalence area for MS .