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Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1994 Apr;57(4):497–499. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.57.4.497

Familial clustering of multiple sclerosis in a northern Swedish rural district.

M Binzer 1, L Forsgren 1, G Holmgren 1, U Drugge 1, S Fredrikson 1
PMCID: PMC1072883  PMID: 8164003

Abstract

A small rural district in the most northerly province of Sweden was found to have a very high occurrence of multiple sclerosis. A total of 12 patients with multiple sclerosis among 4744 inhabitants were identified (five females, seven males), corresponding to a prevalence of 253/100,000. Many of the patients were related and a further 21 cases with multiple sclerosis (14 females, seven males), mostly living in the neighbouring area, have family ties to the district. A genealogical investigation showed that 22 of the 33 patients identified had ties of kinship and thus, to our knowledge, the largest aggregation of multiple sclerosis in a family is presented.

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Selected References

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