Background and Objective: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is variable in its prevalence and manifestations
in different regions of the world. Iran is one of the most populous countries in Middle East, it is
important to have a better understanding of the epidemiology and clinical pattern of MS in different
parts of Iran. Although Iran is said to be located in the low-risk area, recent studies have shown that
the prevalence of MS in Iran may be much higher than what was previously thought. This study
determines the current prevalence and clinical features of MS in East Azerbaijan province, North
West Iran. Methods: All patients for this study were MS cases listed in the Committee for Diagnosis
and Treatment of MS (CDTMS) registry. The study patients were all residents of East Azerbaijan
Province who were diagnosed with MS by neurologists. Results: Out of one thousand cases, 269 were
males (26.9%) and 731 females (73.1%).The female/male ratio was 2.7. The crude prevalence of MS
in East Azerbaijan was 27.7/100,000 population. The mean age (SD) of patients was 33.4 (8.9) years.
The relapse-remitting form of disease was seen in 67.7% of patients; primary-progressive disease in
2.8%; and secondary progressive disease in 11.2%.
Conclusion: Our study suggests that MS prevalence in North West Iran lies in the medium frequency
range.