Angiomas at the university hospital of Yalgado Ouedraogo in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Epidemiological and clinical profile.

Angiomas are vascular abnormalities that affect less than 1% of the world's population. Data on these disorders in Africa are limited. The purpose of our work was to study the epidemiological and clinical aspects of angiomas in the Dermatology-Venerology Department of the University Hospital of Yalgado Ouedraogo in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) to contribute to improving knowledge of this group of pathologies in our region. This cross-sectional descriptive, retrospective, and prospective study covers cases from 1998 through 2014. We identified 61 patients with angioma, 67.2% of them younger than 30 months. The sex ratio was 0.56. Vascular tumors (hemangiomas) accounted for 43 cases (70.5%) and vascular malformations 18 (29.5%). Lesions appeared between 0 and 15 days of life in 57.4% of cases. Their size ranged from 1 to 3 cm in 49.2% of cases. They were most frequently located on the head (49.2%). The most frequent clinical forms were cutaneous hemangiomas (tuberous) (36 cases), followed by the nevus flammeus (8 cases), and mixed hemangiomas (7 cases). Only one complex forms was observed: one case of Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome. Superficial vascular abnormalities are rare in our dark skin type context including infantile hemangiomas. The clinical peculiarities of the angiomas observed in this African series in Ouagadougou seem quite similar to the characteristics described in European and American series.

[Ekbom syndrome or delusional parasitosis: Three cases in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)]. / Syndrome d'Ekbom ou parasitose délirante : trois cas à Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

INTRODUCTION: Ekbom syndrome is a rare disease characterized by a delusional conviction on the part of the patient of infestation with cutaneous parasites. It is rarely described in an African setting. Herein we report three cases observed in Ouagadougou. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Case 1: a 40-year-old housewife, living alone since her spouse left her, consulted for a feeling of insects under the skin and exulceration progressing over the previous year. A diagnosis was made of Ekbom syndrome in a depressed patient. Case 2: a 45-year-old bachelor, unemployed and with no children, consulted in dermatology for a sensation of continuous movement of insects under his skin, experienced over the previous six years. This sensation, which was worse in hair-covered areas, led to regular hair removal and untimely cleansing in a bid to dislodge them. Case 3: an 80-year-old patient, widowed for 3 years, consulted for a sensation of insects under her skin over the previous 2 years. This sensation was accompanied by intermittent pruritus and she removed the "insects" from her skin, which she brought to us in a sachet, but which in reality corresponded to debris of dead skin. We concluded on Ekbom syndrome in a depressive patient. CONCLUSION: These three cases of delusional parasitism observed in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, confirm the main clinical characteristics of Ekbom syndrome and underline the role of emotional and financial isolation, as well as pre-existing psychological difficulties, as potential triggers for this syndrome.

Breast and pleuropulmonary metastasis of multirecurrent scalp dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is a rare tumor, representing about 0.1% of skin malignant tumors. It is characterized by local aggressiveness with significant potential for recurrence. Although metastasis is rare, it does occur. We report a case of a Burkinabe woman with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. CASE PRESENTATION: A 27-year-old Burkinabe woman consulted our institution for a recurrent scalp nodule that had been evolving for 13 years. At clinical examination, she was in good condition with a dry cough. An atrophic scarring alopecic plaque of 15-cm diameter in the right parietal region of the scalp, topped by an erythematous firm nodule measuring 3 × 2 × 2 cm, was noted, as well as a mobile nodule located in the axillary tail of the right breast. Cerebral computed tomodensitometry had not objectified the reach of the vault or the brain. A thoracic scan revealed four intrathoracic tissue masses straight to pleural touch. There were no evolutionary lesions in the abdominopelvic region. Histopathologic examination of the biopsy of the scalp nodule showed a proliferation of fibrous background, with fusiform cells carrying a storiform appearance. These cells had dark, elongated nuclei and showed some mitosis without atypia. The cells expressed CD34 intensely and diffusely. The test results were negative for PS100 and smooth muscle actin. The breast nodule showed the same profile as the scalp nodule. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded on the diagnosis of scalp dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans with breast metastasis and probable pleuropulmonary metastasis.

[Knowledge of an urban population about arterial hypertension: prospective study carried out in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso]. / Connaissances d'une population urbaine sur l'hypertension artérielle: enquête prospective menée à Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

The objective of this prospective survey was to estimate the prevalence of hypertension in the city of Ouagadougou and to evaluate the information level as well as the knowledge of the population regarding hypertension. We carried out a urban community based cross sectional study. Subjects were black African, and aged of 18 years at least. They were considered hypertensive when they were under a treatment for hypertension, or when they had high blood pressure (> or = 140/90 mm Hg) according to the WHO classification in 1999. The study selected 3441 subjects, among them 60.4% of women and 39.6% of men. The average age in the sample was 33.1 +/- 13.3 years; 64.4% of the subjects were 20 to 40 years old. The average systolic blood pressure in the population was of 124 +/- 21 mm Hg, and of 78 +/- 12 mm Hg for the diastolic one. The prevalence of hypertension in our sample was 23%, with 20.4% of unknown hypertensive subjects. Hypertension is highly frequent in urban area in Burkina Faso. As it could be expected, the knowledge of the population regarding hypertension proved inversely proportional to the educational level. Information programs and consciousness-raising campaign as well as detection program should be implemented urgently.