Institute of Regional Health Services Research, University of Southern Denmark, Winsloews Vej 9B, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark
Neurology. 2011 May 3;76(18):1589-95. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3182190f74.
Epidemiologic studies have suggested different prevalence of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) in different ethnic groups. However, data on the incidence and prevalence of NMO in Caucasians are scarce.
To estimate the incidence and prevalence of NMO in a predominantly Caucasian population based on the Wingerchuk 2006 criteria.
The study was a population-based retrospective case series with longitudinal follow-up. Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), optic neuritis (ON), acute transverse myelitis (TM), and NMO from the 4 neurology and 3 ophthalmology departments in the Region of Southern Denmark having been diagnosed between 1998 and 2008 were investigated. Patients were included based on 1) episodes of ON or TM and 2) an initial brain MRI not diagnostic for MS. An immunofluorescence assay was used to determine aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) antibodies.
A total of 477 patients with MS, TM, or ON were evaluated: 163 fulfilled the inclusion criteria, 42 (26%) qualified for the diagnosis of NMO, 26 (62.0%) of these were AQP4 antibody positive. All except one were Caucasian, the female:male ratio was 2.8:1, and mean age at onset was 35.6 years (range 15-64 years). The clinical presentation was heterogeneous including TM, longitudinally extensive TM, ON, and brainstem syndromes. The yearly incidence rate of NMO in the population was estimated to be 0.4 per 10(5) person-years (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.30-0.54) and the prevalence was 4.4 per 10(5) (95% CI 3.1-5.7).
Despite being a rare disease, NMO is more common in a Caucasian population than earlier believed.
流行病学研究表明，不同种族的视神经脊髓炎（NMO）的患病率不同。然而，关于白种人群中 NMO 的发病率和患病率的数据却很少。
根据 Wingerchuk 2006 标准，评估以白种人群为主的人群中 NMO 的发病率和患病率。
这是一项基于人群的回顾性病例系列研究，具有纵向随访。1998 年至 2008 年间，丹麦南部地区的 4 个神经科和 3 个眼科部门诊断了多发性硬化症（MS）、视神经炎（ON）、急性横贯性脊髓炎（TM）和 NMO 的患者。根据以下标准纳入患者：1）ON 或 TM 发作；2）初始脑 MRI 不符合 MS 诊断。采用免疫荧光法检测水通道蛋白-4（AQP-4）抗体。
共评估了 477 例 MS、TM 或 ON 患者：163 例符合纳入标准，42 例（26%）符合 NMO 诊断，其中 26 例（62.0%）AQP-4 抗体阳性。除 1 例外，所有患者均为白种人，男女比例为 2.8:1，发病年龄平均为 35.6 岁（15-64 岁）。临床表现呈异质性，包括 TM、长节段性 TM、ON 和脑干综合征。人群中 NMO 的年发病率估计为 0.4/105 人年（95%可信区间 [CI] 0.30-0.54），患病率为 4.4/105（95% CI 3.1-5.7）。
尽管 NMO 是一种罕见疾病，但在白种人群中的发病率比之前认为的要高。
