Amputations among diabetics in Reunion Island.

OBJECTIVES: Our study allowed us to exhaustively list up all the cases of lower limb amputation carried out in the hospitals of the island from May 1st, 2000 to April 30, 2001. METHODS: We studied the medical files of all the diabetic patients having undergone a non traumatic amputation and they all had an interview with an inquiring doctor. RESULTS: 406 amputations (including 11 traumatic ones) have been carried out over the 12 months of our study. On a total of 395 non traumatic amputations, 70% were made among diabetics and concerned 278 patients among whom 179 are type 2 diabetics. Men are more concerned than women. If the distribution of amputation levels does not differ between diabetics and non-diabetics, the former more often undergo multiple interventions. 72% of the patients have a level of primary education, 59% have difficulties reading, and most of them have a very limited knowledge on their disease and do not practise any prevention for podologic traumatism. CONCLUSION: In a region where 718 220 inhabitants live and where the rate of diabetes prevalence is high (17.7% for 30-69 years), we could be afraid for the years to come of an important increase of the prevalence and diabetes chronic complications incidence rates. Authorities have to become aware of the current risks and of increasing equipments and personnel for the prevention and the follow-up of this insidious pathology. Programmes for the prevention of podologic complications should be supported by taking into account local specificities.

[Prevalence of thyroid cancer in Réunion from scintigraphic data]. / Prévalence des cancers thyroïdiens à La Réunion à partir des données scintigraphiques.

This work is a retrospective two years study of thyroid cancer, diagnosed in Reunion Island, using scintigraphic cold regions. Between April 1993 and April 1995, 1,364 thyroid scintigraphic studies were performed in the CHD F. Guyon at Saint Denis, Réunion). These studies resulted from all types of indication and of them 691 had cold regions, with 22 thyroid cancers among them, (i.e. a prevalence of 3.20% of cold areas). Analysis of these cancers allowed recognition of various characteristics. A large majority (82%) were in females, whose median age at the time of diagnosis was 49 years (as opposed to 48 years for the male patients). The associated cold zones were usually isolated cold nodules. Anatomical pathology investigation indicated six were papillary, five mixed, three vesicular nodule, four microcarcinoma, one each of anaplastic, one follicullar thyroid carcinoma, and two were metastases. Their geographical distribution was superposed on their medical demography. Treatment was surgical, but a variety of procedures was used. Generally the diagnostical, therapeutical and follow up procedures were not standardised. Needle cell biopsy was virtually excluded from the decision-making trees and a variety of protocols was used. In addition there are no local epidemiological data available concerning thyroid cancers. An improved method for dealing with these cancers appears to be essential for Reunion. It must be associated with a greater awareness from medical practitioners, agreement on procedures for diagnosis, treatment and follow up and the setting up of a register for thyroid cancer in the "Department". Some thought before detailed involvement should be given to the setting up of a team, trained in needle cell biopsy, and an associated metabolic radiotherapy facility, so allowing appropriate procedures and follow up for thyroid cancers in this "Department".

[Incidence of endemic goiter on Reunion Island. A search for etiological factors]. / Incidence du goitre endémique à l'île de la Réunion. Recherche des facteurs étiologiques.

In an epidemiological study carried out in Reunion Island, 1,686 randomized school children aged from 11 to 15 years were examined for goitre by cervical palpation. A detailed questionnaire was fully completed by each child and his parents. The iodine level was measured in 168 urinary samples and in the salt and water consumed in the various places investigated. The overall incidence of goitre was 8.2 percent, rising up to 19.7 percent in the mountainous part of the island. The mean urinary iodine level was 40.2 +/- 2.7 micrograms I/g creatinine (m +/- SEM) and fell to 20.0 +/- 3.7 in the highlands. Water and salt contained little iodine. A significant relationship was noted between the presence of goitre on the one hand and sex, familial incidence of goitre, cassava consumption and distance from the coast on the other hand. This study demonstrates that endemic goitre and iodine deficiency are present in a limited area of Reunion Island.