Rheumatic diseases in patients attending a clinic at a referral hospital in Yaounde, Cameroon.
BACKGROUND
The spectrum of rheumatic diseases in sub-Saharan Africa remains poorly defined.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the spectrum of rheumatic diseases in Yaounde.


METHODS
Descriptive cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Rheumatology clinic at the Yaounde General Hospital, Cameroon.


METHODS
Twelve thousand four hundred and ninety four patients were referred to the outpatient department of the Internal Medicine service of the General Hospital of Yaounde over a 12-month period. Of these cases, 536 (9.4%) were diagnosed as belonging to the general class of rheumatic conditions. There were 334 (62.31%) females and 202 (37.69%) males. The mean age was 52.72 +/- 5.3 years.


RESULTS
The 536 cases were further classified as follows: degenerative disease of the spine 196 (36.5%), osteoarthritis of the limbs 110 (20.5%), regional musculo-skeletal disorders 83 (15.5%), arthritis associated with infections 50 (9.3%), chronic inflammatory and connective tissue diseases 44 (8.2%), crystalline arthropathies 32 (5.9%) and miscellaneous (unclassified) rheumatic conditions 21 (4.1%).


CONCLUSIONS
From these results, we concluded that degenerative disease of the spine and limbs are the most common forms of rheumatic disease in this region. Gout is the most commnon acute inflammatory arthropathy and rheumatoid arthritis the most prevalent arthropathy due to chronic inflammation.
Singwe-Ngandeu
M
M
Internal Medicine Unit, General Hospital, P.O. Box 5408, Yaounde, Cameroon.
Meli
J
J
Ntsiba
H
H
Nouédoui
C
C
Yollo
A V
AV
Sida
M B
MB
Muna
W F
WF
D000208:Acute Disease; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006073:Gout; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000639:trends*; D013038:Specialization; D013122:Spinal Diseases