Systematic Chest Radiography during Pre-Employment Check-Up

The aim of this study was to specify the importance of chest radiography during pre-employment check-ups in the tropical environment. A cross-sectional study of chest X-rays of 2540 apparently healthy job applicants in seven private companies in Abidjan; Cote d'Ivoire; was carried out over a 5-year period. The chest X-rays were performed in posterior-anterior; frontal; standing position. Two senior radiologists performed a double-blind study in search of parietal; mediastinal; and pleuroparenchy-matous abnormalities. The 2540 subjects were all males with ages ranging between 20 and 36 years. In 93of the cases (2372 job applicants) the frontal chest X-ray was normal but 168 (7) presented abnormal images. The observed lesions were dominated by cardiomegaly (102 cases) followed by pulmonary parenchymatous lesions (35 cases); and by pleural liquid effusions (10 cases). The parenchymatous abnormalities were represented by 35 evolutional lesions in the form of 12 apical parenchymatous infiltrates; 7 excavated apical pneumopathies; and 16 non-excavated condensations. The 10 cases of pleural abnormality were encysted pleuritis. Frontal chest radiology can be useful in pre-employment check-ups in the tropical environment by helping to screen for contagious pulmonary lesions that may be undetected at a clinical examination

Depression in Patients with Epilepsy: A Study from Enugu; South East Nigeria

Depression is a common psychiatric disorder in epilepsy patients. A bidirectional interaction is thought to be present between epilepsy and depression. There are few studies of this relationship in Nigerian Africans. Objectives: This was a cross-sectional study of the frequency and pattern of depression in a cohort of epilepsy patients in Enugu; South East Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Adult patients with epilepsy seen at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital; Enugu; from May to September 2009 were assessed for depression using the Becks Inventory for Depression. Informed consent was obtained from each patient. Clinical data obtained were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences; version 15. The hospital's ethical review committee approved the study. Results: I0 n all; 83 subjects were studied (50 males and 33 females). They were aged from 18 to 75 years; with an average of 29.87 years. Most subjects were 25 years of age; single (53; 64) and had at least secondary school education (65; 78). Depression was present in 71 (85.5) subjects - minimal 57 (68.7); mild 10 (12); and moderate 4 (4.8). No case of severe depression was seen. Patients 25 years of age were the most affected. Depression was not significantly associated with age; gender; seizure type; or educational level. Conclusion: A significant proportion of Nigerian African epilepsy patients have depression; which may be easily overlooked; with far-reaching consequences on patients' quality of life; morbidity; and mortality rates. There is need to regularly assess for and manage epilepsy-related depression in this population