1.Clinical and demographic factors of long-term physical disability in patients with demyelinating diseases
Urantugs G ; Khaliun B ; Tuvshinjargal D ; ; Gantuya D ; Natsagdorj L
Mongolian Journal of Health Sciences 2026;91(1):72-78
Background:
Aetiological mechanisms of demyelinating diseases underlie a very heterogeneous clinical course, ranging from relapsing to progressive, with a longer disease duration leading to physical and cognitive disability.
Aim:
To identify factors in the development of long-term disability in demyelinating diseases.
Materials and Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 64 patients with multiple sclerosis and 33 patients with NMO treated at the Third State Central Hospital. We assessed demographic and clinical data, including the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi-square tests, analysis of variance, correlation, and regression.
Result:
In MS, relapses (≥1) within 1.0 years of MS onset (OR=5.5, 95% CI 1.11-26.69, p=0.037), optic neuritis (OR=4.3, 95% CI 1.02-21.67, p=0.014), relapse frequency (≥3) (OR=6.6, 95% CI 1.39-31.3, p=0.018), myelitis frequency (≥2) (OR=5.5, 95% CI 1.42-21.67, p=0.014), in NMOSD, time from disease onset to diagnosis (≥3 month) (OR=7.9, 95% CI 1.04-60.7, p=0.046), years of diagnosis (≥3 years) (OR=6.3, 95% CI 1.15-34.12, p=0.034) contributed to disabilty worsening outcomes.
Conclusion
Disability in demyelinating diseases is affected by many factors.
2.Quantitative assessments of brain in multiple sclerosis patients
Khaliun B ; ; Enkhtuya M ; Janar M ; Urantugs G ; Lkhamtsoo N ; Tuvshinjargal D ;
Mongolian Journal of Health Sciences 2026;96(6):133-138
Background:
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system and a major cause of disability in young adults. MRI is essential for diagnosis and monitoring, while early evaluation of structural brain changes is important.
Aim:
To evaluate brain volumetric changes using automated MRI analysis in patients with MS.
Materials and Methods:
This case–control study included 50 MS case patients and 50 controls patients examined between 2020–2023 at the Third State Hospital. T1-MPRAGE images were analyzed using volBrain automated segmentation software.
Result:
The mean age of MS patients was 45.5±11.8 years. Compared with healthy controls, the MS group showed significantly lower total grey matter volume (p=0.002), cortical grey matter volume (p<0.001), subcortical grey matter volume (p=0.006), and cerebral volume (p=0.02). Significant volume reductions were also observed in the temporal (p=0.006) and occipital (p<0.001) lobes. Deep grey matter structures, including the thalamus (p=0.001), caudate nucleus (p=0.009), putamen (p=0.008), and nucleus accumbens (p<0.001), also showed significantly reduced volumes. Disease duration was negatively correlated with total grey matter volume (r=−0.30, p=0.02), thalamic volume (r=−0.28, p=0.04), and occipital lobe volume (r=−0.43, p=0.002). Disease duration was also significantly associated with spinal cord involvement (p=0.01) and grey matter volume (p=0.04). The number of relapses was negatively correlated with total brain volume (r=−0.28, p=0.046).
Conclusion
Patients with MS demonstrated decreased grey matter volume, particularly within deep grey matter structures, along with increased abnormal white matter volume, suggesting the coexistence of neurodegeneration and demyelination in MS. Brain volume loss in MS appeared to occur independently of aging. Automated quantitative MRI analysis may provide important diagnostic value in detecting structural brain changes associated with MS.
3.A rare presentation of multi-drug induced Long QT syndrome misdiagnosed as epilepsy
Urantugs G ; Tuvshinjargal B ; Bayarmaa D ; Tuvshinjargal D ; Saruul N ; Lkhamtsoo N
Mongolian Journal of Health Sciences 2025;90(6):244-249
Background:
Multidrug-induced long QT syndrome is a serious heart rhythm disorder where multiple medications prolong the QT interval on an electrocardiogram, increasing the risk of a potentially fatal arrhythmia. Long QT syndrome
is characterised by heart rate corrected QT interval prolongation and life-threatening arrhythmias, such as polymorphic
ventricular tachycardia, Torsades de pointes leading to syncope and sudden death.
Case:
21-year-old woman required resuscitation from an apparent cardiac arrest that had occurred after status epilepticus.
The woman was diagnosed with long QT syndrome, cardiac channelopathy. She had a long history of syncope, seizure
and palpitations. Family history was non-contributory. Home medications included levetiracetam 500 milligrams orally
twice and fluoxetine 20 milligrams orally once a day which the patient reported non-compliance with. Levetiracetam is
a widely used anti-epileptic medication secondary to its favorable safety profile. To our knowledge, there are few other
case reports documenting torsades de pointes after levetiracetam administration, and specifically our case report will be
the first documenting cardiac arrest after multidrug administration.
Long QT syndrome is not often included in the differential diagnosis of epileptic and non-epileptic seizures. Early recognition of the syndrome is very important because of prognostic and therapeutic consequences.
Conclusion
Although no hereditary cause was confirmed, this case represents Torsades de Pointes triggered by multiple
medications—including long-term low-dose carbamazepine, fluoxetine, diazepam, and high-dose levetiracetam—on a
background of probable Romano–Ward syndrome or predisposition to QT prolongation. The arrhythmia progressed to
cardiac arrest, requiring ICD implantation.
4. Rising prevalence of demyelinating disorders in Mongolia
Urantugs G ; Nyamsuren B ; Gantuya D ; Natsagdorj L
Mongolian Journal of Health Sciences 2025;88(4):238-243
Background:
Demyelinating disorders are a group of chronic immune-mediated diseases affecting myelinated axons in
the central nervous system, which lead to life-long disability. In Mongolia, the last regional prevalence study was conducted in 2010. Our study objective is to describe the current prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other demyelinating
disorders in Mongolia.
:
Aim
Materials and Methods:
We registered MS, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disease (NMOSD), myelin oligodendrocyte
glycoprotein (MOG), and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) cases diagnosed according to the 2017 McDonald criteria, the 2023 NMOSD diagnostic criteria, International MOGAD Panel proposed criteria.
Results:
The study was conducted in all tertiary, 7 regional, and 20 provincial hospitals across Mongolia and has collected
comprehensive data on 965 patients. The prevalence of total demyelinating disorders was estimated to be 27.2, MS 15.6,
NMOSD 5.6, MOG 0.06, and ADEM 0.9 per 100,000 total population, respectively. The prevalence of demyelinating
disorders between provinces was compared in order of geographical latitude, from lowest to highest, and was statistically
significant. Latitude is associated strongly with the prevalence of demyelinating disorders (p=0.006, 95% CI 14.3-22.4,
Pearson correlation=0.603) and moderately with the prevalence of MS (p=0.028, 95% CI 9.39-15.6, Pearson correla
tion=0.503).
Conclusion
In Mongolia, the prevalence of MS has significantly increased and can be considered at medium risk, but
still much lower than that in Western countries. The prevalence of NMOSD is almost similar to other Asian countries. An obvious latitude gradient for demyelinating disorders was observed in the Mongolian population.
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