Multiple Sclerosis in Malaysia: Demographics, Clinical Features, and Neuroimaging Characteristics

Table 2

Showing the clinical features of multiple sclerosis patients in Malaysia. (A subgroup analysis of demographics in NMO/NMOSD patients was also included.)

	𝑁=104
Female : male/%	87 : 17 (83% : 17%) ( ratio: 5 : 1)
In the MS group: Malays : Chinese : Indians : others; %	55/104 : 19/104 : 28/104 : 2/104 patients; 52.9% : 18.3% : 26.9% : 1.9%
In the NMO/NMOSD group: Malays : Chinese : Indians : others; %	38/77 : 32/77 : 7/77 : 0/77 patients; 49.4% : 41.6% : 9.1% : 0%
Mean age at onset/years	28.6±9.9
Mean duration of illness/years	6.41±5.23
Site of involvement	At onset     At first relapse
Optic nerve	37/104 (35.6%)    20/104 (19.2%)
Spinal cord	26/104 (25.0%)    33/104 (31.7%)
Subcortical	23/104 (22.1%)    32/104 (30.7%)
Brainstem and cerebellum	18/104 (17.3%)    19/104 (18.4%)
Mean number of exacerbations	2.98±2.46
Annualized relapse rates/year	0.87±0.75
Mean EDSS at onset	2.71±1.84
Familial involvement	5/104 (5%)
Clinical course
RRMS	93/104 (89.4%)
SPMS	6/104 (5.8%)
PPMS	5/104 (2.9%)
CSF (OCB %)	38/66 (57.6%)
Ambulating independently (current status)	78/104 (75%)
Visual acuity (20/30 and above) in one/both eyes	94/104 (90.4%)
ANA positivity (1 : 40 to 1 : 80)	4/104 (3.8%)
Initial brain MRI fulfills; McDonald’s 2005 criteria for dissemination in space; McDonald’s 2010 criteria for dissemination in space	64/104 (61.5%); 69/104 (66.4%)
Spinal multiple sclerosis	4/104 (3.8%)

MS: multiple sclerosis; ANA: antinuclear factor, RRMS: relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis; SPMS: secondary progressive multiple sclerosis; PPMS: primary progressive multiple sclerosis; OCB: oligoclonal bands; EDSS: expanded disability status scale.