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Is the incidence of optic neuritis rising? Evidence from an epidemiological study in Barcelona (Spain), 2008–2012

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Abstract

It is currently believed that the incidence rate of optic neuritis (ON) ranges between 0.56 and 5.1 cases per 100,000 person-years. However, since these figures were generated, they have not been updated and there are suggestions that the incidence of ON is on the rise. When designing new therapies and clinical trials for ON, and to improve the management this disease, it is important to have accurate epidemiological data. Thus, we set out to obtain the prevalence and incidence rates of ON in Barcelona (Spain) from 2008 to 2012, by a retrospective evaluation of electronic hospital records at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona (population of 300,000 in the catchment area) matching the following ICD-9-CM codes as search terms: 377.3-optic neuritis; 377.30-optic neuritis, unspecific; 377.31-optic papillitis; 377.32-retrobulbar neuritis, acute; 377.39-other optic neuritis and “optic neuropathy”. Demographic and clinical data were collected from records with a confirmed diagnosis of ON, including cases of idiopathic ON, multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica and CRION. The prevalence of acute ON on 31 December 2012 was 2.75 cases per 100,000 people. The mean annual prevalence of acute ON during the 2008–2012 period was 7.87 cases per 100,000 person-year and the mean annual incidence rate was 5.36 cases per 100,000 person-years. The incidence of ON in Barcelona during 2008–2012 was higher than previously reported. This increase may reflect the evolution of diagnostic criteria, the use of a referral-center approach instead of a population-based approach, increased awareness of demyelinating diseases, latitude-related factors and possibly a true increase in its incidence.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain (FIS program PS09/00259 and RETICS program RD12/0032/0001).

Conflicts of interest

Elena H Martínez-Lapiscina has received travel and accommodation expenses from Novartis, Teva, Sanofi Aventis, Lundbeck and Bayer for national and international congresses.

Elena Fraga-Pumar has no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Xavier Pastor has no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Mónica Gómez has no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Artur Conesa has no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Raimundo Lozano-Rubí has no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Bernardo Sanchez-Dalmau has received travel and accommodation expenses from Novartis for national and international congresses.

Alvaro Alonso has no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Pablo Villoslada has received consultancy fees from Roche, Novartis, MedImmune, TFS, Heidelberg Engineering and Neurotec Farma, and he is a shareholder in Bionure Farma.

Ethical standard

The Research Ethics Committee of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona reviewed and approved this study, which has been conducted following Helsinki recommendations and European Union and Spanish regulations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Neuroimmunology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Centre Cellex, Casanova 145, Planta 3A, 08036, Barcelona, Spain

    E. H. Martínez-Lapiscina, E. Fraga-Pumar, B. Sánchez-Dalmau & Pablo Villoslada

  2. Department of Medical Informatics, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    X. Pastor, A. Conesa & R. Lozano-Rubí

  3. Strategy and Planning Department, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Integral Healthcare Area of Barcelona-Esquerra, Barcelona, Spain

    M. Gómez

  4. Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    B. Sánchez-Dalmau

  5. Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    A. Alonso

Authors
  1. E. H. Martínez-Lapiscina
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  2. E. Fraga-Pumar
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  3. X. Pastor
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  4. M. Gómez
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  5. A. Conesa
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  7. B. Sánchez-Dalmau
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  9. Pablo Villoslada
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pablo Villoslada.

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Martínez-Lapiscina, E.H., Fraga-Pumar, E., Pastor, X. et al. Is the incidence of optic neuritis rising? Evidence from an epidemiological study in Barcelona (Spain), 2008–2012. J Neurol 261, 759–767 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-014-7266-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-014-7266-2

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