Clinical surveillance of XXXX in two areas of the United Kingdom, 1991-2001.

@entity1 @entity923 @entity73
OBJECTIVE: To study the demographic characteristics of @entity1 with @entity923 and changes in incidence over time. METHODS: Prospective collection of neurophysiological and clinical data on all @entity1 presenting to the subregional department of clinical neurophysiology in Canterbury, UK, from 1992 to 2001 and to the electromyography clinic in St Luke's Hospital, Huddersfield, UK, from 1991 to 1993. RESULTS: 6245 new cases of neurophysiologically confirmed @entity923 were identified in Canterbury and 590 in Huddersfield. The average annual incidences (per 100,000) were 139.4 for @entity1 and 67.2 for @entity1 in East Kent, and 83.2 for @entity1 and 48.0 for @entity1 in Huddersfield. Corrected to the WHO European standard population these rates were 120.5 for @entity1 and 60.0 for @entity1 in East Kent, and 61.5 for @entity1 and 35.0 for @entity1 in Huddersfield. Between 1992 and 2001 there was an increase in the number of confirmed cases in East Kent but a decrease in their average severity. The age distributions were bimodal with a peak in the 50-54 age group and a second peak between 75 and 84 years. Over half the cases were bilateral. The disorder was consistently worse in the elderly, and more severe in @entity1 than in @entity1 in all age groups. CONCLUSIONS: The age distributions of unselected cases of @entity923 in both clinics differ markedly from that usually portrayed in surgical series. There was a significant increase in cases diagnosed between 1992 and 2001 in Canterbury, probably the result of increased ascertainment of milder cases. Median @entity73 is more severe in the elderly and in @entity1 at all ages.
