Valvulopathies rhumatismales à Lomé : aspects épidémiologiques et prise en charge

Abstract

Background: the rheumatic fever remains the first cause of valvular heart diseases in developing countries. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological aspects and the management of these rheumatic valvular heart diseases in Lomé hospitals.
Methods: it is about a cross-sectional and descriptive study performed from January 1st 2004 to December 31st, 2008 which included files of patients, admitted or seen in out-patient basis in the cardiology departments of four hospitals of the city of Lomé. The diagnosis of rheumatic valvular heart diseases was based on the Doppler echocardiography.
Results: the hospital rates of the rheumatic valvular heart diseases was 2.3‰.The average age was 33.3 years with a female prevalence (sex ratio = 0.87). The mitral valve was the most affected (9 patients) with a pure regurgitation (1/3 of the cases), a mixed involvement (2/9 of the cases), or still was implied in a polyvalvular involvement in 1 case. There was an aortic regurgitation in 5 cases. Pure tricuspid and pulmonary rheumatic involvement were absent. Only a patient has been able to benefit from the definitive treatment, the valvular replacement.
Conclusion: the hospital frequency of rheumatic valvular heart diseases remains high in our areas in spite of the progress in health care and availability of the antibiotic treatment. The primary prevention should be stressed on the rigorous treatment of the pharyngitis and the screening of the rheumatic fever by the general practitioners, and secondary it will be necessary to develop the cardiac surgery in our country.

Keywords: Rheumatic valvular heart diseases, epidemiology, management

J. Rech. Sci. Univ. Lomé (Togo), 2012, Série D, 14(2) : 51-58