title: [Pernicious anemia: diagnosis and course in Burkina Faso].
abstract: Pernicious anemia (also known as Biermer disease or anemia, Addison or Addisonian anemia, and Addison-Biermer anemia) is an autoimmune atrophic gastritis responsible for vitamin B12 malabsorption due to a deficiency of intrinsic factor. We report eight cases of pernicious anemia in Burkina Faso, collected over a 44-month period. The three criteria for diagnosis of pernicious anemia were: vitamin B12 deficiency, gastric disease (gastric histology) with presence of anti-intrinsic factor, and/or anti-gastric parietal cell antibodies in serum. All patients had anemia, with a mean hemoglobin level of 8.75 g/100 mL. The average mean corpuscular volume (MCV) was 122.1 fL the average mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) 39.3 pg, the mean reticulocyte count 12.069 10(9)/L reticulocytes, and the mean rate of megaloblast marrow cells 17.2%. The serum vitamin B12 level ranged from 35 to 71 pmol/L. Antibodies against intrinsic factor were found in all eight patients. All ABO blood groups were present with a predominance (4 cases) of group O. Endoscopy found a normal fundic mucosa in three patients. Histology showed gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia for six patients (85.7%). Under B12 vitamin therapy, the course was favorable in all patients; seven patients also had 10 days of iron therapy. We recommend a gastric biopsy even in the absence of macroscopic gastric lesions on the upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
authors: Service d'hématologie clinique du CHU Yalgado-Ouedraogo, 06 BP 9625 Ouagadougou 06, Burkina Faso, Médecine interne, CHU Yalgado-Ouedraogo, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Koulidiati
authors: UFR sciences de la santé, université de Ouagadougou, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Sawadogo
authors: Médecine interne, CHU Yalgado-Ouedraogo, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Sagna
authors: UFR sciences de la santé, université de Ouagadougou, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
authors: K S
authors: KS
authors: Somda
authors: Médecine interne, CHU Yalgado-Ouedraogo, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Tieno
authors: UFR sciences de la santé, université de Ouagadougou, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Kafando
authors: UFR sciences de la santé, université de Ouagadougou, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
authors: Y J
authors: YJ
authors: Drabo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000752:Anemia, Pernicious / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002050:Burkina Faso; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: Biermer disease (pernicious anemia); Burkina Faso; megaloblastic anemia; vitamin B12