Evolution of the EDSS score in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis

Address for correspondence: Marcelle Prado (email: [e-mail]).

Abstract

Background: Progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS) is a type of MS; secondary PMS (SPMS) typically follows a relapsing course before progressing steadily, while primary PMS (PPMS) involves a gradual disability build-up from the start.

Objective: To describe the duration of illness in PMS patients.

Methods: A retrospective observational study involving 33 patients diagnosed with PMS, 10 with PPMS and 23 with SPMS, treated at tertiary hospital in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The medical records were analyzed between December 2023 and March 2024. The Pearson Chi-squared test was used for the statistical analysis.

Results: Out of the 33 PMS patients evaluated, in the group with EDSS scores ≤ 6.5, 85% were women, and, in the group with EDSS scores > 7, the percentage of women reduced to 53.8% (p = 0.05). The mean age at the onset of symptoms was of 32.79 years. The time between the onset of symptoms and the diagnosis of the disease was of 5.25 years, both for the PPMS and SPMS patients. The initial EDSS score was of 2.0, and the final, of 6.5, with a difference of 4.5 points approximately 16 years after the disease onset. Furthermore, we observed that 100% of the patients with current EDSS score ≥ 7 showed partial regression of the symptoms during outbreaks, while 70% of those with current EDSS score ≤ to 6.5 showed incomplete regression.

Conclusion: The evolutionary description of EDSS scores in patients with PMS can help us better understand the history of the disease. A homogeneity in the prevalence of gender was noticed with an increase in the EDSS score, with the onset of symptoms in this population occurring around the age of 32 years.

Publication History

Article published online:
02 October 2024