Month of Diagnosis
Monthly heterogeneity for all 394 cases was statistically significant
using the chi-square test (P < 0.038)(Table 2), which indicated a non-uniform
distribution of cases; in stratified analyses no such effect was found
among males (P = 0.514), females (P = 0.952), children
(P = 0.163) and adolescents (P = 0.304).
The Poisson regression modelling indicated that the month in which an
annual peak was observed was March (10.7% of all cases(Figure 2). The month with the
lowest number of cases was September (5.8% of all cases). Considering
patients of all ages, 13.6% of the male cases were diagnosed in July,
while only 5.7% of females were diagnosed in this month.