Author(s)

Anne Berthe M’pemba Loufoua-Lemay^1*, Alphonse Massamba²

¹Department of Pediatrics, University of Brazzaville Hospital, Brazzaville, Congo.
²Laboratory of Health, Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics, Superior Institute of Physical Education, University Marien Ngouabi, Braz-zaville, Congo.

Context: Several studies were conducted throughout the world on heart diseases in children; no data is available in Congolese child. Objective: To evaluate epidemiological profile of Congolese children and teenager carrying cardiovascular diseases. Methods: A descriptive and prospective study was carried out during 4 years in the pediatric department of teaching hospital of Brazzaville, near the children received in consultation of pediatric cardiology. Results: On 41,472 patients admitted in pediatric service, 526 patients were received in consultation for suspicion of heart diseases. Among them, 444 had cardiopathy (incidence of 10.7‰). It was about a congenital heart disease to 316 (60%) incidence of 7.6‰; Acquired heart disease to 128 (24.4%) incidence of 3.1‰. Among congenital heart defects observed frequency of patients with ASD was 20.3%, isolated in 10.1% of cases, and associated with ECD (11.8%). The VSD was observed in 30.1% of cases, and the Tetralogy of Fallot in 10.1% of cases. Among the acquired heart diseases, severe hypo kinetic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) was noted in 24.4% of cases. The rheumatic heart diseases accounted for 41.4% of cases. It was mitral regurgitation (33.6%), a mitral stenosis (1.6%). Pericarditis was objectified at 10.1% of the patients. The evolution was favorable for 43.3% of patients. An aggravation of symptoms was observed to 2.7% of patients. Mortality was 11.9% and 71.9% of deaths were observed to not operate carriers of congenital heart disease. 69.9% of dead patients were carrying a cyanogen heart disease. Left to right shunt represented 21.7% of the deaths. Conclusion: Heart diseases are real problem of public health for Congolese children.

Congenital Heart Diseases, Acquired Heart Diseases, Children, Brazzaville, Sub-Saharan Africa

Loufoua-Lemay, A. and Massamba, A. (2016) Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases in Children at the Teaching Hospital of Brazzaville, Congo. World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases, 6, 410-424. doi: 10.4236/wjcd.2016.611045.