Epidemiological study of myasthenia gravis in the province of Ferrara, Italy.

The only prevalence rate of myasthenia gravis (MG) so far estimated in Italy by an epidemiological study carried out in Pavia, North Italy, indicates a prevalence quite similar to that observed in other countries. The purpose of the survey was to verify the frequency of the disease in a geographically well-defined and previously surveyed community. On the basis of 39 cases, on 31 December 1987 the prevalence per million was 105.3 (102.3 if standardized for the Italian population). This is the highest prevalence figure yet found, indicating a value similar to that established in Northern Europe. According to Kurtzke this high prevalence rate reflects the high standard of the local public health service, which permitted a more intensive search for affected subjects.