Differences in disease burden between neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and multiple sclerosis in South China

Background Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and multiple sclerosis (MS) differ substantially in pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical manifestations and therapeutic management. Objectives To investigate the disease burden of NMOSD and MS in South China and analyse the differences in disease burden between the two. Methods We extracted the demographic characteristics, diagnoses, duration of hospitalization and mortality from the direct reporting system of health information. Results From 2016 to 2022, the study identified 12,799 hospital admissions for 8204 patients with NMOSD and 6783 hospital admissions for 5125 patients with MS. The female-to-male ratio among patients with MS was 1.82. The peak age of NMOSD diagnosis was 45–55 years. The peak age of MS diagnosis was 25–35 years. The average duration of hospitalization for patients with NMOSD was 12 (7–17) days, whereas that for patients with MS was 10 (6–14) days. The percentage of NMOSD admissions to the intensive care unit was higher than that of MS admissions. The mortality rate for both NMOSD and MS was 0.2%. Conclusions In South China, the disease burden of NMOSD is heavier than that of MS. The NMOSD exhibited a higher number of cases, longer duration of hospitalization and more severe clinical conditions than MS.