EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS TREATED IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF GUARAPUAVA, PARANÁ

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.0159662611053

• Palavras-chave: Multiple sclerosis; Epidemiology; Outpatient care; Medical records; Retrospective studies.

• Keywords: Multiple sclerosis; Epidemiology; Outpatient care; Medical records; Retrospective studies.

• Abstract:

  Introduction: Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, autoimmune, demyelinating, and neurodegenerative inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, characterized by high clinical heterogeneity. Although widely described in large centers, its characterization in rural municipalities remains limited, especially within the context of regional services of the Unified Health System. Objective: To analyze the clinical and epidemiological profile of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis treated at the Specialty Medical Clinic in Guarapuava, Paraná, between 2023 and 2025. Methods: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, and retrospective study conducted through the analysis of electronic medical records of adult patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were collected, including sex, current age, age at diagnosis, duration of illness, neurological manifestations, functionality, clinical form, initial symptoms, and current treatment. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Initially, 17 patients with a recorded diagnosis of multiple sclerosis were identified; four were excluded due to diagnostic inconsistencies or insufficient information, resulting in a final sample of 13 patients. There was a predominance of females (76.9%), with a mean current age of 51.5 years, a mean age at diagnosis of 39.9 years, and a mean duration of illness of 8.0 years. Motor impairment was the predominant neurological manifestation, with sensory and visual changes also occurring, in addition to cerebellar, bulbar, and autonomic manifestations to a lesser extent. Some degree of functional impairment was reported in 61.5% of patients, including one case of severe disability. Current use of disease-modifying therapy was recorded in 46.2% of medical records. Analysis of clinical forms, initial symptoms, and functionality was limited by the incompleteness and lack of standardization of the records. Conclusion: Patients with multiple sclerosis followed at the evaluated service presented a profile consistent with that described in the literature, with a female predominance, diagnosis in adulthood, and varied neurological manifestations, especially motor symptoms. The study contributes to regional knowledge of the disease and reinforces the need for more structured clinical records, standardized functional assessment, and specialized neurological follow-up.