title: Cardiac disease distribution among patients referred for echocardiography in Harare, Zimbabwe.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the distribution of cardiac diseases seen in a tertiary referral hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Harare Central Hospital, Harare, Zimbabwe.
  
  
  METHODS
  1,507 patients referred for echocardiographic evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cardiac diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1,153 (76.5%) echocardiographic studies were abnormal, while 354 were normal. Rheumatic heart disease was the predominant diagnosis (25.1%) with 208 (74.3%) of cases being females. The main valvular lesion in females was mitral stenosis (48.1%), while in males it was mitral regurgitation (61.1%). Other diagnoses were: pericardial disease 250 (22.4%), dilated cardiomyopathy 245 (22.0%), hypertensive heart disease 148 (13.3%) and others (17.4%). There were 65 cases of peripartum cardiomyopathy among the cases of dilated cardiomyopathy and 34 cases of acute myocarditis among "others".
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A detailed clinical, radiological and echocardiographic assessment at the time of echocardiography enabled a credible diagnosis to be assigned to the majority of patients. Echocardiography is appropriate technology in this setting given the range of "echo-friendly" cardiac lesions found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Hakim
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Manyemba
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014504:Urban Health; D015030:Zimbabwe