Prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Rochdale.

The prevalence of multiple sclerosis in the Rochdale Metropolitan Borough in the north east of Greater Manchester has been established. Case ascertainment was partly prospective via a neurological register from 1979 and by contact with general practitioners, therapists, and social services. On prevalence day, 1 January 1989, 254 patients with multiple sclerosis were living in Rochdale. The overall prevalence was 122/100,000 population and 96/100,000 population for probable cases only. The peak rate for women aged 35 to 44 years was 437/100,000 population and for men aged 45 to 54 years 221/100,000. Familial multiple sclerosis was present in 10.8% of families. In this, the first study in north west England, the prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Rochdale is similar to that in southern England and Wales but lower than that in Scotland.