A major development over the past two decades was the recognition of recurrent neuromyelitis optica (NMO) as a particular central nervous system disorder different from multiple sclerosis (MS). Here we reviewed the epidemiology of NMO in Latin America (LATAM). A predominance of a mixed population is found in this region. Recurrent NMO in black women was described in the Caribbean Islands and in Rio de Janeiro. The prevalence of NMO in LATAM varied from 0.37/100,000 (Volta Redonda city) to 4.2/100,000 inhabitants (Caribbean Islands). NMO differs significantly from MS with respect to gender, ethnicity, morbidity and genetic susceptibility. An association of the HLA DRB1*03 alleles with NMO was described in the French Antilles, Ribeirão Preto, Rio de Janeiro and Mexico. It is not common to find familial forms of NMO. NMO represents 11.8% of all inflammatory idiopathic diseases in South America (SA). In SA, the highest frequency of NMO occurs in African Brazilian young women. The overall relative frequency of NMO among MS cases in this region was 14%, decreasing following a north-south gradient, which parallels the percentage of nonwhite people.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.