TY - JOUR
T1 - Incidence of Optic Neuritis among Omani Patients with Multiple Sclerosis at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
AU - Alkharusi, Fatma
AU - Sabt, Buthaina
AU - Al-Mujaini, Abdullah S.
N1 - © Copyright 2023, Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, All Rights Reserved.
PY - 2023/11/30
Y1 - 2023/11/30
N2 - OBJECTIVES: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, multifaceted, heterogeneous autoimmune disease, with optic neuritis (ON) being a common early manifestation among those with MS. This study aimed to estimate the incidence of ON among Omani patients with MS.METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study included all Omani patients diagnosed with MS at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, between January 1991 and December 2019. The data were collected from the neurology registry and electronic medical records and analysed descriptively using univariant and multivariant statistical techniques.RESULTS: Out of the 185 patients diagnosed with MS during the study period, 170 were included in the analysis. The male-to-female ratio was 1:2 and the mean age was 28 years. The incidence of ON in the population was 28.8%, with 83.7% of ON patients presenting with relapse-remitting MS (RRMS). Overall, 28.6% of patients presented with O N as an initial manifestation of MS, whereas 42.8% developed ON at a later stage. Most patients (49.4%) were from higher-latitude regions of Oman such as Muscat and Al Batinah.CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of both MS and ON increased over the study period. While the overall incidence was low in comparison with Western data, it was similar to the rates reported elsewhere in the Arabian Peninsula. Overall, ON was the most common manifestation of MS in the cohort, with younger female patients more frequently presenting with both MS and ON. A significant association was found between the RRMS subtype and ON presentation.
AB - OBJECTIVES: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, multifaceted, heterogeneous autoimmune disease, with optic neuritis (ON) being a common early manifestation among those with MS. This study aimed to estimate the incidence of ON among Omani patients with MS.METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study included all Omani patients diagnosed with MS at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, between January 1991 and December 2019. The data were collected from the neurology registry and electronic medical records and analysed descriptively using univariant and multivariant statistical techniques.RESULTS: Out of the 185 patients diagnosed with MS during the study period, 170 were included in the analysis. The male-to-female ratio was 1:2 and the mean age was 28 years. The incidence of ON in the population was 28.8%, with 83.7% of ON patients presenting with relapse-remitting MS (RRMS). Overall, 28.6% of patients presented with O N as an initial manifestation of MS, whereas 42.8% developed ON at a later stage. Most patients (49.4%) were from higher-latitude regions of Oman such as Muscat and Al Batinah.CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of both MS and ON increased over the study period. While the overall incidence was low in comparison with Western data, it was similar to the rates reported elsewhere in the Arabian Peninsula. Overall, ON was the most common manifestation of MS in the cohort, with younger female patients more frequently presenting with both MS and ON. A significant association was found between the RRMS subtype and ON presentation.
KW - Demyelinating Diseases
KW - Epidemiology
KW - Incidence
KW - Multiple Sclerosis
KW - Oman
KW - Optic Neuritis
KW - Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis
KW - Cross-Sectional Studies
KW - Humans
KW - Hospitals, University
KW - Male
KW - Multiple Sclerosis/complications
KW - Oman/epidemiology
KW - Female
KW - Adult
KW - Retrospective Studies
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85179648664&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/a8c97943-79ec-30ad-9824-88bd4b1b8c58/
U2 - 10.18295/squmj.5.2023.029
DO - 10.18295/squmj.5.2023.029
M3 - Article
C2 - 38090249
AN - SCOPUS:85179648664
SN - 2075-051X
VL - 23
SP - 472
EP - 478
JO - Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal
JF - Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal
IS - 4
ER -