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BACKGROUND: Rwanda has aimed to rebuild its health care system since the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis in 1994, though one of the challenges has been a scarcity of radiologic resources. OBJECTIVE: To assess the location and accessibility of radiologic facilities in Rwanda using geospatial mapping and population-based data. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in May 2023 using location and radiologic modality data provided by the Department of Radiology at the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali and the WorldPop database, a publicly available database providing open-access geospatial population data. Radiologic equipment included magnetic resonance (MR), computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), radiotherapy, X-ray, mammography, and fluoroscopy machines. Geospatial analysis was performed using ArcGIS Pro 2.8.6 software. RESULTS: Fifty-six radiologic facilities were identified, including 5 MR, 7 CT, 1 radiotherapy, 52 X-ray, 5 mammography, 5 fluoroscopy, and 0 PET machines. There were 0.4 MR, 0.5 CT, 0 PET, 0.1 radiotherapy, 3.9 X-ray, 0.4 mammography, and 0.4 fluoroscopy units per 1 million people. CONCLUSION: Rwanda is one of the countries with the lowest radiologic access in East Africa; however, there is evidence of progress, particularly in more advanced diagnostic imaging techniques such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: This study provides a 10-year update on current radiologic resources and access in Rwanda, identifying areas of progress and ongoing scarcity, serving as a guide for future direction of growth. KEY POINTS: ⢠As Rwanda works on rebuilding its health care system, this study provides an assessment of the current radiologic resources within the country. ⢠There is less than one radiologic unit for every million of the Rwandan population for every imaging modality other than X-ray. ⢠While radiologic access in Rwanda lags behind that of its neighbors, there has been growth focused on advanced imaging modalities and the training of human resources.
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INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis (TB), one of the oldest diseases known to affect humans, is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The disease usually affects the lungs, although, in up to one-third of cases, other organs are involved. TB of the bone mimics other clinical conditions such as chronic osteomyelitis, Madura mycosis and actinomycosis. CASE REPORT: A fifth child and last-born girl, in a family of living four children, aged 9 years, consulted Kigali University Teaching Hospital (CHUK) on December 7, 2017, from Kibuye Referral Hospital (Western of Rwanda) for ulcerated, infected left heel with swollen foot 4 months before our consultation. Physical examination revealed a patient with swollen and tender foot discharging serous bloody fluids accompanied by inability to stand with a painful right hip. Small left inguinal lymph nodes were present. Blood work-up, computed tomography scan of the left foot, and an incisional biopsy at the level of the left calcaneus were performed and revealed extrapulmonary TB. The histopathological features for TB were scanty, but the high index suspicion of possible extrapulmonary TB led to the confirmation of the diagnosis using auramine-rhodamine special stain. Anti-TB therapy for 12 months course was initiated and the monthly follow-up for 11 months was done. CONCLUSION: Although calcaneal TB is very rare, in countries with high incidence of TB, clinicians must have a high suspicion index and skeletal TB must be included in differential diagnosis of bone masses whenever possible bone mass biopsy and special staining technique in addition to most common diagnosis means should be done to rule out the possibility of bone TB.
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Rwanda is a country of 12 million people with 41% of its population under the age of 14 years. Despite major improvements in health care since the 1994 genocide, pediatric neuroimaging in Rwanda remains challenging. Prenatal and advanced imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are not widespread. As a result, many children with neurological diseases present unexpectedly as newborns or are in advanced stages of disease at diagnosis. The goal of this essay is to describe some unique features of the practice of pediatric neuroradiology in Rwanda in 2018.
