Background: In comparison to other forms of chronic liver diseases, cirrhosis is generally poorly studied in sub Saharan Africa. In Chad, more particularly, no data are available despite the burden of liver diseases c...Background: In comparison to other forms of chronic liver diseases, cirrhosis is generally poorly studied in sub Saharan Africa. In Chad, more particularly, no data are available despite the burden of liver diseases considered as the first cause of hospitalizations in the country. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 268 patients with liver cirrhosis attending care at the University Reference Hospital between 2007 and 2016. Results: This series of liver cirrhoses was characterized by a weak mal predominance (M:F = 1.7). The age of onset occurs significantly earlier in women than in men (40.6 ± 12.0 vs. 44.4 ± 13.4, p = 0.0171). The principal risk factor was persistent infection with hepatitis B virus (49% of cases) followed distantly by infection with hepatitis C virus (13%) and excessive alcohol consumption (10%). Men were more frequently carrying HBV surface antigen than women (65.6% vs 35.9% p = 0.0019). HBV-associated liver cirrhosis was overall more severe than diseases from other causes. A large proportion of cirrhosis (30%), observed primarily in women (48.1% vs 24.1%, p = 0.0036), was considered are cryptogenic. Conclusions: The etiological spectrum of liver cirrhosis remains to be properly defined in Chad. This lack of knowledge prevents the implementation of an efficient policy of prevention. A significant effort should be secured to characterize hitherto neglected infectious, lifestyle or genetic risk factors responsible of this form of terminal disease and improve subsequently liver health of local populations.展开更多
Background: Although hepatocellular carcinoma was historically considered an important scourge in Middle Africa, there is no publication describing this disease in Chad. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis ...Background: Although hepatocellular carcinoma was historically considered an important scourge in Middle Africa, there is no publication describing this disease in Chad. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 219 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) attending care at the University Reference Hospital of Ndjamena between 2007 and 2016. Results: This series of HCC was characterized by a male predominance (M:F = 2.4) with a mean tumor onset at the end of the fifth decade of life (49.9 ± 14.7 years). Tumors appear on a cirrhotic liver in 70% of cases and were already multifocal at diagnosis in two thirds of the patients. Alpha-fetoprotein was above the physiological threshold (10 ng/mL) in 73.4% of cases measured and above the so-called diagnostic level (400 ng/mL) in 53.4% of patients. The principal risk factor was chronic infection with hepatitis B virus, detected in 52.6% of cases. Patients seropositive for hepatitis C virus were infrequent (8.6%) and heavy alcohol intake was even less prevalent (5.9%). Remarkably, a very large subset of patients did not present any infectious or lifestyle risk factor (43.4%). Mean AFP values or fibrosis assessment scores are usually lower in these patients than in HBV-infected ones. Conclusions: The etiological spectrum of HCC is far from being fully established in Chad. Further epidemiological research is warranted to identify risk factors involved in a large proportion of cases. Exposure to aflatoxin B1 and dysmetabolic conditions affecting the liver have to be investigated as priority.展开更多
文摘Background: In comparison to other forms of chronic liver diseases, cirrhosis is generally poorly studied in sub Saharan Africa. In Chad, more particularly, no data are available despite the burden of liver diseases considered as the first cause of hospitalizations in the country. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 268 patients with liver cirrhosis attending care at the University Reference Hospital between 2007 and 2016. Results: This series of liver cirrhoses was characterized by a weak mal predominance (M:F = 1.7). The age of onset occurs significantly earlier in women than in men (40.6 ± 12.0 vs. 44.4 ± 13.4, p = 0.0171). The principal risk factor was persistent infection with hepatitis B virus (49% of cases) followed distantly by infection with hepatitis C virus (13%) and excessive alcohol consumption (10%). Men were more frequently carrying HBV surface antigen than women (65.6% vs 35.9% p = 0.0019). HBV-associated liver cirrhosis was overall more severe than diseases from other causes. A large proportion of cirrhosis (30%), observed primarily in women (48.1% vs 24.1%, p = 0.0036), was considered are cryptogenic. Conclusions: The etiological spectrum of liver cirrhosis remains to be properly defined in Chad. This lack of knowledge prevents the implementation of an efficient policy of prevention. A significant effort should be secured to characterize hitherto neglected infectious, lifestyle or genetic risk factors responsible of this form of terminal disease and improve subsequently liver health of local populations.
文摘Background: Although hepatocellular carcinoma was historically considered an important scourge in Middle Africa, there is no publication describing this disease in Chad. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 219 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) attending care at the University Reference Hospital of Ndjamena between 2007 and 2016. Results: This series of HCC was characterized by a male predominance (M:F = 2.4) with a mean tumor onset at the end of the fifth decade of life (49.9 ± 14.7 years). Tumors appear on a cirrhotic liver in 70% of cases and were already multifocal at diagnosis in two thirds of the patients. Alpha-fetoprotein was above the physiological threshold (10 ng/mL) in 73.4% of cases measured and above the so-called diagnostic level (400 ng/mL) in 53.4% of patients. The principal risk factor was chronic infection with hepatitis B virus, detected in 52.6% of cases. Patients seropositive for hepatitis C virus were infrequent (8.6%) and heavy alcohol intake was even less prevalent (5.9%). Remarkably, a very large subset of patients did not present any infectious or lifestyle risk factor (43.4%). Mean AFP values or fibrosis assessment scores are usually lower in these patients than in HBV-infected ones. Conclusions: The etiological spectrum of HCC is far from being fully established in Chad. Further epidemiological research is warranted to identify risk factors involved in a large proportion of cases. Exposure to aflatoxin B1 and dysmetabolic conditions affecting the liver have to be investigated as priority.
