The differential diagnosis of multiple sclerosis can present specific challenges in patients from Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, eastern Europe, southeast Asia, and the Western Pacific. In these areas, environmental factors, genetic background, and access to medical care can differ substantially from those in North America and western Europe, where multiple sclerosis is most common. Furthermore, multiple sclerosis diagnostic criteria have been developed primarily using data from North America and western Europe. Although some diagnoses mistaken for multiple sclerosis are common regardless of location, a comprehensive approach to the differential diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, eastern Europe, southeast Asia, and the Western Pacific regions requires special consideration of diseases that are prevalent in those locations. A collaborative effort has therefore assessed global differences in multiple sclerosis differential diagnoses and proposed recommendations for evaluating patients with suspected multiple sclerosis in regions beyond North America and western Europe.

中文翻译：

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疑似多发性硬化症的鉴别诊断：全球健康考虑因素


多发性硬化症的鉴别诊断可能会给来自拉丁美洲、非洲、中东、东欧、东南亚和西太平洋的患者带来特定的挑战。在这些地区，环境因素、遗传背景和获得医疗服务的机会可能与多发性硬化症最常见的北美和西欧有很大不同。此外，多发性硬化症诊断标准主要使用来自北美和西欧的数据制定。尽管无论身在何处，一些被误诊为多发性硬化症的诊断都很常见，但在拉丁美洲、非洲、中东、东欧、东南亚和西太平洋地区，多发性硬化症鉴别诊断的综合方法需要特别考虑这些地区流行的疾病。因此，一项合作工作评估了多发性硬化症鉴别诊断的全球差异，并提出了评估北美和西欧以外地区疑似多发性硬化患者的建议。