[Venous thromboembolism in Cameroon (report of 18 cases)]. / La maladie thrombo-embolique veineuse au Cameroun (a propos de 18 cas).

The purpose of this report was to describe clinical and ultrasound findings associated with venous thromboembolism of the lower extremities and pulmonary embolism observed in our department with special emphasis on the utility of venous ultrasound in the diagnosis of venous thromboembolism. Between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 1999, a total of 47 venous ultrasound procedures were carried out according to the standard technique using a Logic 400 MD system (General Electric). Deep venous thrombosis was diagnosed in 18 cases (38.3%). There were 10 men and 8 women with a mean age of 46 years (range, 24 to 71 years). Thrombosis involved the internal saphenous, popliteal, or sural vein in 12 cases, the common or deep femoral vein in 4, and the external iliac vein in 2. The most common risk factors observed in our series were surgery, predisposing conditions, history of venous thrombosis and morbid obesity (66.8% of case). Prolonged periods of bed confinement and neoplasm (lower extremity Kaposi's disease) were more uncommon (22.2%). Pulmonary embolism occurred during the observation period in six cases (33.3%) including 3 (50%) that were fatal. Based on these findings it can be concluded that although its incidence is relatively low in black African patients at risk, thromboembolic disease is often fatal and requires routine preventive treatment using heparin.

Superior vena cava tumoral thrombosis revealing a Burkitt's lymphoma and a lymphoblastic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A case report.

Superior vena cava thrombosis (SVCT) is a rare pathology, though of great significance since it implies the development of a malignant process. The most common etiologies are basically bronchopulmonary and mediastinal tumors. Observations involving 2 patients presenting with superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) are reported in this study, in which radiologic investigations (chest roentgenogram, computed tomography scan of the thorax, and superior vena cavography) revealed thrombosis of the SVC disclosing in both cases a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The first case was a mediastinal Burkitt's lymphoma in a thirty-eight-year-old man (exceptional form) and in the second case a lymphoblastic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a nine-year-old girl. In the patient with Burkitt's lymphoma healing was satisfactory twenty-four months after treatment by surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The second patient died suddenly. In both cases the SVCT revealed the tumor. The causes of SVCT are reviewed and discussed.

L'experience camerounaise en chirurgie cardiaque: a propos de 83 cas operes de 1985 a 1990

La chirurgie cardiaque a ete introduite au Cameroun en 1985 au CHU de Yaounde. Six missions de chirurgie cardiaque ont ete effectuees au Cameroun de juillet 1985 a avril 1990. Nous nous sommes proposes d'evaluer cette experience initiale dans notre pays et d'essayer d'etablir la courbe de survie des patients operes cardiaques. L'etude a ete essentiellement menee au CHU de Yaounde. Au total; 83 sujets dont 42 femmes et 41 hommes ont ete operes. Leur age varie de 9 a 60 ans avec une moyenne de 29 ans. Parmi ces malades 53 pour cent des sujets etaient au stade fonctionnel III et IV de la NYHA en preoperatoire et 95;3 pour cent presentaient une insuffisance cardiaque refractaire au traitement medical. Les remplacements valvulaires sur valvulopathies post-rhumatismales representaient la principale indication (77 cas). 4 cardiopathies congenitales (1 communication interauriculaire; 1 communication interventriculaire et 2 canaux arteriels persistants); 5 pericardites (2 constrictives; 1 serofibrineuse et 1 purulente) et 1 endomyocardite fibreuse ont egalement ete repertoriees. Les resultats ont ete remarquables; car ils ont permis a une grande majorite d'operes une survie d'au moins 5 ans. Cependant; le cout de la chirurgie cardiaque reste toujours eleve quoique de loin preferable a celui d'une evacuation sanitaire a l'etranger

L'experience camerounaise en chirurgie cardiaque: a propos de 83 cas operes de 1985 a 1990

La chirurgie cardiaque a ete introduite au Cameroun en 1985 au CHU de Yaounde; sous l'egide du Ministere de la Sante Publique et grace a l'impulsion de quelques pionniers camerounais; avec la collaboration des equipes chirugicales francaises de Lyon et de Marseille. Nous nous sommes proposes d'evaluer cette experience initiale dans notre pays et d'essayer d'etablir la courbe de survie des patients operes cardiaques. Au total; 83 sujets ont ete operes. leur age varie de 9 a 60 ans avec une moyenne de 29 ans. Parmi ces malades 53 pour cent des sujets etaient au stade fonctionnel III et IV de la NYHA en preoperatoire et 95;3 pour cent presentaient une insuffisance refractaire au traitement medical. [abstract terminated]

[Surgical treatment of segmental occlusions of the popliteal and the crural arteries with modified vascular prostheses (author's transl)]. / Die operative Behandlung von Segmentverschlüssen der A. poplitea und kruraler Arterien unter Verwendung verschiedener Gefässersatzmaterialien.

Possibilities and indications for reconstruction of the femoro-popliteal and femoro-crural region are dealth with. Autogenous veins still are the favoured graft material for the femoro-popliteal/crural bypass. If an autogenous vein is not available bovine arterial grafts, Gore-Tex-PTFE prostheses or modified human umbilical cord vein are alternative materials.

[Differential diagnosis of acute leg swelling (author's transl)]. / Ein Betrag zur Differentialdiagnose akuter Beinschwellungen.

Reference is made to aspects relating to the aetiology of acute leg swelling following surgical or radiological treatment of uterine and ovarian tumours. Four cases are reported, in that context. The swellings described developed up to ten years after initial therapy. Differential diagnosis and therapeutic approaches are discussed. The need for early cooperation between the gynaecologist, radiologist, angiologist, and vascular surgeon is underlined.