Multiple sclerosis: Disability and mortality in a cohort of clinically diagnosed patients

A sample of hospitalized MS patients was selected according to clinical and demographic criteria with the aim of establishing prognostic factors. The sample included 52 patients with first hospitalization from 1 January, 1975, to 31 December, 1976. At follow-up after 12 years a malignant course was observed in 33 patients (death in 13, severe disability in 20 patients). The malignant course was related to age at onset (3=35 years) and higher disability, progressive course and cerebellar symptoms at onset. One half of patients with a reiapsing-remitting course entered into a progressive phase of the disease after a mean duration of 7.3 years.