Chiò A, Magnani C, Schiffer D
Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin and San Giovanni Hospital, Italy.
Mov Disord. 1998 May;13(3):400-5. doi: 10.1002/mds.870130305.
The prevalence of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) in an area of Northwestern Italy (Socio-Sanitary District of Cossato, 61,830 inhabitants) was analyzed and the reliability of "drug tracer methodology" evaluated. The patients were identified by both conventional epidemiological methodology (general practitioners, consultant neurologist, computerized archives) and drug tracer methodology (registered levodopa prescriptions). The diagnosis of PD was clinically verified by examining all patients. Of 146 patients examined, 104 were affected by PD; the remaining by other types of parkinsonism. The crude point prevalence rate (October 20, 1991) was 168 per 100,000 population (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 138-204), with a progressive increase up to the 80-89 age group. Using "tracer" methodology, the estimated crude point prevalence rate was 196 (95% CI 163-235), with an overestimation of the prevalence in older patients and women and an underestimation in younger and less seriously affected cases. The uneven distribution of PD in Italy appears to be the result of, at least in part, methodological factors. "Tracer" methodology may cause biases in the evaluation of the epidemiological characteristics of PD, especially if the clinical diagnosis of cases identified by this method is not carefully verified. Nevertheless, it appears useful as an additional source of cases for descriptive surveys.
对意大利西北部一个地区（科萨托社会卫生区，61,830名居民）特发性帕金森病（PD）的患病率进行了分析，并评估了“药物追踪法”的可靠性。通过传统流行病学方法（全科医生、神经科会诊医生、计算机化档案）和药物追踪法（登记的左旋多巴处方）来识别患者。通过对所有患者进行检查，对PD诊断进行临床验证。在接受检查的146名患者中，104名患有PD；其余患者患有其他类型的帕金森症。粗点患病率（1991年10月20日）为每10万人中168例（95%置信区间[95%CI]138 - 204），在80 - 89岁年龄组中呈逐渐上升趋势。使用“追踪”法，估计的粗点患病率为196（95%CI 163 - 235），老年患者和女性的患病率被高估，而年轻患者和病情较轻患者的患病率被低估。PD在意大利的分布不均似乎至少部分是方法学因素导致的。“追踪”法可能会在评估PD的流行病学特征时造成偏差，尤其是如果未仔细核实通过该方法识别出的病例的临床诊断。然而，它作为描述性调查的额外病例来源似乎是有用的。
