[Asherman's syndrome : management after curettage following a postnatal placental retention and literature review]. / Syndrome d'Asherman. Prise en charge après curetage suite à une rétention placentaire post-natale et revue de la littérature.

Asherman's syndrome (AS) is a partial or complete obliteration of the uterine cavity after intrauterine trauma. Approximately 90 % of severe AS cases occur after abortion curettage or postpartum curettage. Clinical signs and symptoms are abnormalities of the cycle (hypomenorrhoea or amenorrhoea) and fertility disorders. We have reviewed the recent literature on AS following the description of a typical clinical case. The management of AS is not easy. It must be done by experienced surgeons. Realization of several surgeries is sometimes mandatory, with the use of anti-adhesive devices between interventions. Its complex management encourages insistence on the avoidance of its risk factors.

Le syndrome d'Asherman (SA) correspond à une oblitération plus ou moins complète de la cavité utérine et se développe après un traumatisme intra-utérin. Approximativement 90 % des cas de SA sévères surviennent après un curetage post-abortum ou post-partum. Il se manifeste par des anomalies du cycle (hypoménorrhée ou ménorrhée) et des troubles de la fertilité. Nous avons revu la littérature récente concernant le SA à la suite de la description d'un cas clinique exemplatif. La prise en charge du SA n'est pas aisée : elle doit se faire par les chirurgiens expérimentés et passe parfois par la réalisation de plusieurs chirurgies, avec l'utilisation des dispositifs anti-adhésifs entre les interventions. Sa prise en charge complexe incite à insister sur l'éviction des facteurs favorisant sa survenue.

[Complications of laparoscopic surgery in gynecology unit A of Yaoundé General Hospital, Cameroon]. / Les complications de la coeliochirurgie dans le service de gynécologie A de l'hôpital général de Yaoundé, Cameroun.

The aim of the study was to describe the morbidity and mortality of gynaecological laparoscopy in a pilot center of Cameroon. It was a monocentric retrospective study over a period of seven years. All files of patients who had laparoscopic surgery in the service were reviewed. Files with incomplete information were excluded. Complications were defined as an event that had modified the usual cause of the procedure or of the postoperative period. They were classified as surgical complications (during insertion of Veress needle and trocarts, intraoperative and postoperative complications) also reorganised as major and minor complications and anaesthetic complications. The rate of laparoconconversion was noted. The data of 609 patients was gathered and examined. Their mean age was 31.57 (19-63years). The mean parity and gestity was 0.77 and 1.82, respectively. The common findings in their past history were sexually transmitted infection (39.9%), criminal abortions (35.03%) and previous surgery (39.1%). Infertility was the main indication of the surgery (76.3%) followed by postmyomectomy adhesiolysis (15%). The main operative findings were adhesions (78.16%). The mortality rate is 0.16%. The surgical morbidity rate is 2.46% with 0.99% of complications during insertion of Veress needle and trocarts and 1.48% during surgery. Among these complications, 1.8% were minor complications and 0.66%, major ones. Five patients had complications due to anaesthesia (0.82%). Postoperative complications (8.3%) were of low gravity and were mainly digestive, infectious and moderate vaginal bleeding. The rate of laparoconversion was 2.46%, mainly due to difficulties during surgery. This study shows that operative gynaecologic laparoscopy is associated with acceptable mortality and morbidity rate in our milieu.

[Pregnancy outcome in a group of Cameroonian women with uterine fibroids]. / Evolution de la grossesse sur un utérus fibromyomateux chez un groupe de femmes camerounaises.

INTRODUCTION: Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumor seen in women at reproductive age. The association of pregnancy and uterine fibroids is about 0.5 to 4%. METHODOLOGY: In order to evaluate the complications of this association in our milieu, we carried out this prospective study. The main objective was to compare the incidence of complications of pregnancy and delivery in two groups of women: group 1 (women with uterine fibroids) and group 2 (women without fibroids). They were matched (ratio 1/1) on women age (plus or minus one), gestational age, gravidity (plus or minus one) and parity. RESULTS: Eighty patients in each group 1 were recruited. The mean age was 31.2 years in group 1 and 30.8 years in group 2. Degeneration of fibroids occurred in 15% of cases. The incidence of threatened abortion (51.3% versus 18.8%; RR: 2.7 [1.7-4.5]; p=0.00002), threaten premature delivery (26.3% versus 10%; RR: 2.6 [1.2-5.6]; p=0.008), premature delivery (22.5% versus 7.9%; RR: 2.9 [1.2-6.9]), tocolytic treatment (48.8% versus 20.0%; RR: 2.4 [1.5-4.0]; p=0.0001) and Caesarean section (40% versus 13.8%; RR: 3.1 [1.6-5.9]; p=0.0001) were significantly increased in group 1 than in group 2. We also noticed a moderate increased of the incidence of abortions (11.3% versus 5%; RR: 2.3 [0.7-7.0]), breech presentation (11.3% versus 5%; p=0.3); however, the difference was not statistically significant in two groups. CONCLUSION: We concluded that pregnancy in women with uterine fibroids is a high-risk pregnancy and needs a particular follow-up.

[Ultrasonic demonstration of carotid atherosclerosis in black Cameroonian adults with cardiovascular risk]. / Mise en évidence ultrasonographique de l'athérosclérose carotidienne chez l'adulte noir camerounais à risque cardiovasculaire.

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis in black Cameroonian adults presenting cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF). It was based on 77 subjects over the age of 40 years (50 men and 27 women) with at least one major CVRF, such as hypertension (HT), smoking, dyslipidaemia or diabetes mellitus. Obesity [body mass index (BMI), waist/hips ratio (W/H)] and hyperuricaemia were also taken into account. Duplex ultrasound examination of the carotid arteries was performed with a Siemens apparatus equipped with a 7.5 MHz transducer array. An atheromatous plaque was defined as medio-intimal thickening > or = 1.5 mm, with either protrusion or hyperechogenicity. Risk factors were distributed as follows in our serie: HT: 82%, Obesity: 49% (W/H) and 32% (BMI); Diabete: 32%; Smoking: 23%; Hyperuricaemia: 21%; Hypercholesterolaemia: 13%. 19 subjects (25%) (12 men and 7 women with a mean age of 63 years) presented one or more atheromatous plaques in the carotid arteries. Hyperuricaemia and hypercholesterolaemia were significantly correlated with the presence of plaques, with a marked tendency in subjects over the age of 70. In this study, hyperuricaemia and advanced age appeared to be independent arterial risk factors on multivariate analysis. In conclusion, our data show that carotid atherosclerosis does exist in our populations, especially in elderly subjects with cardiovascular risk factors. The particular role of hyperuricaemia as a predictive factor of atheromatous plaques in black Cameroonian subjects needs to be defined.