[Ultrasound and epidemiological features of ectopic pregnancy in a suburb of Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire)]

OBJECTIVE

The aim of our study was to describe current ultrasound and epidemiological features of ectopic pregnancy in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This prospective study was carried out over a 24-month period (February 2006 to January 2008) at Nanglé Medical Clinic, i.e., a private clinic located in Abidjan's Yopougon suburb.

RESULTS

A total of 32 cases of ectopic pregnancy were discovered by suprapubic and/or endovaginal ultrasound scan. The estimated frequency of ectopic pregnancy was 1.7%. Mean patient age was 26.2 years. The main risk factors were prior history of abortion (32%) and adnexal infection (20%). Most patients (52.5%) were nulliparous. The most frequent indication for ultrasound scan was metrorrhagia. Diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy was made at the ruptured stage in 65.6% of cases and nonruptured stage in 34.4%. The presenting lesions was hematosalpinx in 40.6% of cases and embryonate ectopic gestational sac in 31.3%. Salpingectomy and salpingorrhaphy were successful in 65.6% and 34.4% of cases respectivlely.

CONCLUSION

In Abidjan, ectopic pregnancy involves young nulliparous women with a prior history of abortion and adnexal infection. Ultrasound allowed early diagnosis and, consequently, tube preservation in 34.4% of cases.

[Results of the thoracic radiography profile of 247 candidates at the recruiting office of a land-transport society in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire]

The purpose of this prospective study done from May to July 2007 was to show the interest of systematic chest X-Ray of future bus conductors. The main abnormalities were big heart, parenchymal lesion and pleural effusion.

[Non-tuberculous bacterial pleuropneumopathies in children in Abidjan]

We carried out a retrospective study to investigate epidemiological and clinical aspects of patient management in a hospital environment. We studied 90 cases of non-tuberculous bacterial pleuropneumopathies in children, observed over a 5-year period, from January 1 1991 to December 31 1995, at the Pediatric Medical Unit of Yopougon University Hospital. Diagnosis was based on the association of an infectious syndrome with respiratory and digestive disorders, and was confirmed by X ray. Bacteria were isolated from pleural pus and identified in fifty-one cases. Non-tuberculous bacterial pleuropneumopathies accounted for 5.22% of all pneumopathies in children, and the sex ratio for the patients affected was 1.9. Protein and energy malnutrition, anemia, being very young and climatic factors (harmattan and rainy seasons) were identified as major risk factors. The three main bacteria identified were Staphylococcus aureus (21 cases), Streptococcus pneumoniae (19 cases) and Haemophilus influenzae (6 cases). In this series of patients, 20% of the Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated were methicillin-resistant. Patients were generally treated with a combination of penicillin A and M and aminoside, with or without a pleural drain. The outcome was favorable in 77.8% of cases, with no severe sequelae detected by X ray. Six of the children died. Bacterial pneumopathies are still common in Sub-Saharan Africa and the patient being very young is indicative of a poor prognosis.

[Pleuropulmonary staphylococcal infection in newborn infants]

Pulmonary pleural staphylococcal infection is common in sub-Saharan Africa. It is rare in temperate zones and occurs in different epidemiological conditions. In African regions, very few staphylococcal infections are hospital-acquired, with most cases resulting from infection in everyday life. Pulmonary pleural staphylococcal infection typically affects infants. The frequency of neonatal forms is unknown. We describe here in the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic characteristics of a case of pulmonary pleural staphylococcal infection in a newborn. The symptoms of our patient were typical, involving predominantly mechanical and hematological problems. The prevention of infection in very young children and early treatment of such infections could reduce the morbidity of this disease.

[Primitive psoas abscess in children; diagnostic difficulties and non surgical treatment: apropos of 2 cases]

From an analysis of two files of children carriers of primitive psoas abscess, the authors report the difficulties of diagnosis due to the rarity of this affection and the similarities of its symptomatology with ostearthritis of the hip which is a common pathology at the pediatric surgery unit of C.H.U. Yopougon (Republic of Côte d'Ivoire). A non surgical treatment made of antibiotherapy and traction fixed in the axis of the limb is proposed, since it helped the two patients who had presented an echographical stage II of psoas abcess to recover without after-effects.