Evolutionary and Pronostic Aspects of Cirrhosis at the University Hospital of Brazzaville (Congo)

Abstract

Introduction: cirrhosis is a serious pathology that leads to complications whose management remains difficult in our country. This study aimed to evaluate the evolutionary aspects of cirrhosis at the Brazzaville University Hospital. Patients and methods: this was a retrospective study over a period of 18 months (from January 2015 to July 2016), performed in the Gastroenterology Department of the Brazzaville University Hospital. All patients regularly followed for decompensated cirrhosis were included. The studied variables were the epidemiological, clinical and paraclinical characteristics, the occurrence of complications, the survival, and the causes of death. Univariate analysis was used to determine prognostic factors based on the Child Pugh score. Results: There were 43 patients, including 32 men and 11 women, with a mean age of 52 ± 9.5 years. Viral hepatitis B was the most common etiology (39.5%). Child Pugh stage C was found in 60.5%. Oesophageal varices were present in 93% of cases. Survival at 18 months was 72%. In univariate analysis, two variables were significantly associated with decreased survival, including Child Pugh stage C and esophageal varices (grade II and III). Conclusion: cirrhosis remains a worrying pathology because the diagnosis is often made at the stage of often serious complications putting at risk of vital prognosis.