Browsing by Author "Levic, Zvonimir (7003341242)"

All children born in 1989 and 1990 in the district of Krusevac in Central Serbia (population 140,000) were followed to the end of 1995. The total number of children was 3,102. The cumulative incidence of febrile seizures was 25.1/1,000, that of single febrile seizures 3.9/1,000 and that of epilepsy (i.e. recurrent afebrile seizures) 6.5/1,000. The peak age- specific rate of the first febrile and the first afebrile seizure was in the second year of life (11.6/1,000 and 2.9/1,000, respectively). Among 20 cases of epileptic children, the most common type of seizure was the generalized type - 14 cases (70%), while 6 children (30%) suffered from partial seizures. Of these epileptic children, there were 7 children (35%) with associated neurological abnormalities and/or mental retardation, including one with tuberous sclerosis. Thirteen of the total number of epilepsy cases were considered as having active epilepsy (i.e. still having had seizures and/or being on antiepileptic therapy). The calculated point prevalence rate was 4.2/1,000 on December 31, 1995.

The aim of this study was to estimate survival rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the Belgrade population, Yugoslavia, and furthermore, to determine the prognostic value of some demographic and clinical variables for survival. The cumulative survival probability was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The prognostic value of different variables was assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses using the Cox regression model. In the Belgrade population, the cumulative 25-year survival probability of MS patients and the mean survival time from MS onset were 73.2% and 38 years, respectively. The univariate analysis showed that survival was significantly related to sex, age at onset, course of disease and monoregional initial symptoms. A multivariate model demonstrated that a relapsing-remitting course of MS and monoregional onset were predictors of a better prognosis. The presence of motor symptoms at the onset was found to be an independent predictor of a poorer outcome of MS. Copyright © 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel.