TITLE:
Diagnosis of Digestive Tumors: Experience of Bangui (Central Africa Republic) about 112 Cases
AUTHORS:
Francky Kouandongui Bangue Songrou, Timothée Mobima, Elemence Eva Tapande Yakossa Epouse Maka, Yannick Héritier Sombot-Soule, Borel Tambala, Stéphane Kouzou, Judth Edwige Guiaba Kette Mokpondo, Euloge Tapiade Bidan
KEYWORDS:
Digestive Cancers, CT Scan, Anatomopathology, Bangui
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Radiology,
Vol.14 No.4,
December
18,
2024
ABSTRACT: Background: In the Central African Republic, several studies have addressed cancers with an imaging modality based exclusively on ultrasonography, due to the lack of modern imaging. The acquisition of a multi-bar scanner should allow a better description of digestive tumor lesions before they are confirmed by histopathological examination, hence the choice of this study. Objective: To show the diagnostic bases of digestive tumors, particularly malignant tumors observed in Bangui. Patients and Method: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study over a 12-month period from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023. It consisted of the files of any patient referred for an abdominal CT scan. The study included all records of patients diagnosed with digestive tumor on CT and/or pathological criteria. Results: 384 patients underwent a digestive CT scan. One hundred and twelve (112) tumors were found, a frequency of 29%. The majority of patients were male with a sex ratio of 1.3. The mean age of patients was 54.9 years. The most represented age groups were 51 - 60 years old and 61 to 70 years old. Analysis of the CT scan indications reveals that the majority of patients were seen in the late stage of the disease. The main tumors are tumors of the liver (56.2%), kidneys (17%) and pancreas (8.1%). CT analysis of the lesions made it possible to classify the lesions into benign-looking tumors and malignant-looking tumors. The main malignancies were liver cancer (36.6%), colorectal cancer (7.1%) and gastrointestinal cancer (5.3%). There is no relationship between age and tumor type (p = 0.5). There is a relatively very high risk of developing all three types of tumours (liver, kidney and pancreas) in females compared to females OR, [95% CI] = 2.6 [1.0 - 7.0], although this difference is not statistically significant. Regarding histopathological examinations, 20 patients out of 112 were removed (11.9% of cases) for histological confirmation. Conclusion: Digestive cancers occur in adults with a male predominance in Bangui and they are dominated by liver cancers. The involvement of anatomical pathology in the confirmation of lesions suspected by CT scan is still very modest. Capacity building for radiology staff is imperative, as is the acquisition of equipment for the smooth running of CT scans.