Assessment of the Virulence Spectrum and Its Association with Genetic Diversity in Magnaporthe oryzae Populations from Sub-Saharan Africa.

A collection of 122 isolates of Magnaporthe oryzae, from nine sub-Saharan African countries, was assessed for virulence diversity and genetic relatedness. The virulence spectrum was assessed by pathotype analysis with a panel of 43 rice genotypes consisting of differential lines carrying 24 blast resistance genes (R-genes), contemporary African rice cultivars, and susceptible checks. The virulence spectrum among isolates ranged from 5 to 80%. Five isolates were avirulent to the entire rice panel, while two isolates were virulent to ∼75% of the panel. Overall, cultivar 75-1-127, the Pi9 R-gene donor, was resistant to all isolates (100%), followed by four African rice cultivars (AR105, NERICA 15, 96%; NERICA 4, 91%; and F6-36, 90%). Genetic relatedness of isolates was assessed by single nucleotide polymorphisms derived from genotyping-by-sequencing and by vegetative compatibility tests. Phylogenetic analysis of SNPs of a subset of isolates (n = 78) revealed seven distinct clades that differed in virulence. Principal component analysis showed isolates from East Africa were genetically distinct from those from West Africa. Vegetative compatibility tests of a subset of isolates (n = 65) showed no common groups among countries. This study shows that blast disease could be controlled by pyramiding of Pi9 together with other promising R-genes into rice cultivars that are adapted to East and West African regions.

First Report of Rice stripe necrosis virus Infecting Rice in Burkina Faso.

Rice stripe necrosis virus (RSNV) was first described in 1977 as a new virus infecting rice in Cote d'Ivoire (3) and was subsequently observed in Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone (2). RSNV is a soil-borne virus transmitted by the fungus Polymyxa graminis (1) and belongs to the genus Benyvirus (4). During a survey carried out in April of 2013, severe symptoms characterized by seedling death, severe plant malformation, and foliar striping were observed on rice plants in an experimental field of INERA at Banfora located in western Burkina Faso. Disease incidence in the field was estimated to be 80 ± 5%. The symptoms of disease were successfully transmitted to the susceptible rice (Oryza sativa) cultivar IR64 by soil transmission experiments (1). RSNV was detected by ELISA using a polyclonal antiserum (1), kindly provided by Dr. Denis Fargette, IRD, Montpellier, France. Total nucleic acid was extracted with TRIzol reagent (Invitrogen) from IR64 and field infected samples. The presence of the virus was confirmed by RT-PCR using primers 5'-CATCTTGTCGAGATGAG-3' and 5'-GCGTTGTCTTTATCAGTG-3' for specific sequences flanking the RNA2 CP gene. The RT-PCR product was directly sequenced and the sequence was deposited in GenBank (Accession No. LK023710). Sequence analysis showed that the CP gene of the RSNV isolate from Burkina Faso shared the highest nucleotide sequence identity (97.6%) with the known RSNV CP gene sequence from the Colombian isolate (EU099845) available in GenBank, confirming the presence of RSNV in the rice crops in Burkina Faso. To our knowledge, this is the first confirmed report of RSNV in Burkina Faso. Further studies are needed to determine its incidence and spread in the country. Detection of RSNV in Burkina Faso signals the urgent need for adoption of appropriate measures to restrict the spread and impact of this virus within Africa. References: (1) C. Fauquet and J. C. Thouvenel. Proc. Acad. Sci. Ser. D 296:575, 1983. (2) C. Fauquet et al. Develop. Appl. Biol. 2:71, 1988. (3) D. Louvel and J.-M. Bidaux. Agronomie Tropicale 32:257, 1977. (4) I. Lozano and F. Morales. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 124:673, 2009.

Determinants of long-lasting insecticidal net use in Burkina Faso after a mass distribution in the Diébougou health district.

BACKGROUND: In 2009, a mass distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) was conducted in an experimental site of the Diébougou health district. Carried out 1year after the distribution, this study aimed to determine the presence of LLINs in households, to determine the LLIN use rate, and thirdly, to identify key factors associated with LLIN use in households. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study, which covered the entire Diébougou health district. The study population consisted of households in the district. The statistical unit was the household head, or if absent his designated representative. For the selection of households to be studied, we considered the health centers and their geographic accessibility. We thus defined three zones: an area within 5 km of health centers, the area between 5 and 10 km away, and the area beyond 10 km. In each area, we randomly selected 20 households, totaling 60 households in the area of each health center, giving a sample of 840 households to be surveyed. We selected 60 households per health center in accordance with the time and financial resources allocated to data collection. The data were analyzed using the Epi Info 3.5.1 software package. The Chi square test was used to investigate the association between the dependent and independent variables with statistical significance set at P<0.05. When an association was demonstrated, the relative risk (RR) was calculated with the 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: A total of 822 households (97.8%) were surveyed, households inhabited by 6379 people including 1175 (11.4%) children under 5 years of age and 158 (2.5%) pregnant women. The overall use of LLINs was 76.5%. This rate was 81.7% in children under 5 years and 57.6% among pregnant women. Factors influencing the use of LLINs were the implementation of a communication plan by health actors (RR=2.42 [2.03-2.83]), the social position of the household head (RR=1.62 [1.43-1.83]), the marital status of the household head (RR=1.41 [1.33-1.49]), the number of persons per room (RR=1.39 [1.08-1.78]), the religion of household head (RR=1.21 [1.15-1.27]), the level of education of the household head (RR=1.15 [1.06-1.24]), and the number of IECs (information, education, communication) sessions followed by the household (RR=1.14 [1.08-1.20]). CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide guidance on measures to ensure the success of the mass distribution of LLINs to the entire country.

Caustic oesophageal stricture treated by instrumental dilatation: A review of 6 years of practice at the pediatric university hospital charles de gaulle of Ouagadougou.

Background: Oesophageal stricture is one of the most important and redoubtable complications following caustic ingestions in children. Instrumental dilatation is usually considered the first line of treatment. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of caustic stenosis treatment when using Lerut dilatators. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive retrospective study from May 2014 to April 2020. All children under 15 years hospitalised in our department for caustic oesophageal stricture and had a gastrostomy and oesophageal dilatation with insertion of an endless wire were included. Results: A total of 83 patients were included. The sex ratio was 2.2. The mean age was 4 years. The mean time from caustic ingestion to presentation was 90 days. Oesophageal stricture was mostly caused by caustic soda (n = 41) and potash (n = 15). We performed in total 469 dilatations and had only three oesophageal perforations. After a mean follow-up of 17 months, we had 60.2% good results (n = 50) and 7.2% (n = 6) failures. The mortality rate was 13.2% (n = 11). Conclusion: The results of the dilations by Lerut dilatators give encouraging results in our department. It is easy to perform and its complications remain rare. Mortality could be reduced by adequate nutritional support.

[Strangulated umbilical hernia in children (Burkina Faso): differences with developed countries]. / Hernies ombilicales étranglées chez l'enfant au Burkina Faso: différences avec les pays développés.

Umbilical hernias occur frequently in children but complications are rarely reported. This study assesses the incidence of complicated umbilical hernias in our patients, evaluates data for risk factors, and shows dissimilarities with those encountered in developed countries. This study reports all children operated for complications due to strangulated umbilical hernia over a period of 3 years. On the whole, 162 children had umbilical hernias treated during this period. Thirty (18.5%) of these had complicated hernias. The average age of the complicated group was 3(1/2) years. Twenty-nine cases had a painful irreducible umbilical mass. Twenty-four children had bowel obstruction, while stercoral fistula occurred in one child. The average diameter of the hernia ranged between 1 and 1.5 cm. Five patients had ischemic intestine that required resection. One patient died. When active observation and follow-up after 1 year is difficult or not feasible when the wall defect diameter is 1.5 cm or less, and in suspicion of incarceration (unexplained abdominal pain, and irreducibility), umbilical hernia should be operated.

Factors limiting the use of modern contraceptive methods in mothers with children aged 12-23 months at the Yalgado Ouedraogo University Hospital in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Knowledge of the factors of non-use of modern contraceptive methods should help to reduce the number of infants born after short interpregnancy intervals, which are associated with adverse effects for mothers, children, and families. For this reason, this study aimed to determine the factors associated with this non-use among mothers of infants aged 12 to 23 months. This case-control study included a sample of mothers of children aged 12 to 23 months. The case mothers were users of modern contraceptive methods and the control mothers were non-users. Data were collected from January 1 through March 31, 2018. Six factors were significantly associated with the use of modern contraceptive methods: age younger than 25 years, lack of gainful activity, desire for a family size ≥ 4 children, BMI greater than 25, opposition by husband, and failure to attend the 45-day postnatal consultation. Modifiable socio-economic factors were significantly associated with the non-use of modern contraceptive methods by mothers of children aged 12 to 23 months.

Challenges of cold chain quality for routine EPI in south-west Burkina-Faso: An assessment using automated temperature recording devices.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal temperatures are a major issue for vaccines within the Expanded Program of Immunization in tropical climates. Prolonged exposure to temperatures outside the standard +2 °C/+8 °C range can impact vaccine potency. METHODS: The current study used automatic temperature recording devices (Testostore 171-1©) to monitor cold chain in remote areas of Western Burkina Faso. A series of 25 randomly selected health centers representing 33% of the existing 176 EPI facilities in Western Burkina Faso were prospectively assessed for eight months in 2015. Automatic measurements were compared to routine temperature loggers and vaccine vial monitors (VVM). RESULTS: The median age for all refrigerators was 9 years with 10/25 (42%) older than 10 years. Adverse temperatures were recorded in 20/24 (83%) refrigerators and ranged from -18.5 °C to +34.2 °C with 12,958/128,905 (10%) abnormal hourly records below +2 °C and 7357/128,905 (5.7%) above +8 °C. Time of day significantly affected the rate of temperature excursions, with higher rates from 00 am to 06 am (p < 0.001) for low temperatures and 10-12 am (p < 0.001) and 13-16 pm (p < 0.001) for high temperatures. Abnormal temperatures lasted from 1 h to 24 h below +2 °C and 13-24 h above +8 °C. Standard manual registers reported only 182/2761 (7%) inadequate temperatures and VVM color change detected only 133/2465 (5%) disruptions. Reliability of the refrigerators ranged from 48% to 98.7% with a median of 70%. Risk factors for excursions were old age of the refrigerators, the months of April and May, hours of high activity during the day, and health staff-associated factors such as inappropriate actions or insufficient knowledge. CONCLUSION: Important cold chain reliability issues reported in the current study in Western Burkina Faso raise concern about vaccine potency. In the absence of systematic renewal of the cold chain infrastructure or improved staff training and monitoring, antibody response assessment is recommended to study levels of effective immunization coverage.

[Evaluation of the Practice of Caesarean Section According to Robson's Classification in a Health District of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso]. / Évaluation de la pratique de la césarienne selon la classification de Robson dans un district sanitaire de Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

The control of the caesarean rate is nowadays an important concern for the obstetric world, the priority being to make every effort to practice a caesarean in all the women who need it only instead of reaching a specific rate. The purpose of the present study was to apply the Robson classification to the evaluation of the practice of caesarean section at the maternity of the Bogodogo District Hospital. It turned to be an analytical cross-sectional study which was carried out from January 1st, 2013 till December 31st, 2015. The information sources used included the computer base of caesarean sections, the delivery records, the operating room records, the delivery hall and the monthly activity reports. The overall hospital frequency of caesarean section was 33.3%. The rate of caesarean section expected during the same period according to the C-Model was 9.7%. Patients in groups 5 (with a scar uterus) and 6 (nulliparous with siege presentation) of the Robson classification had all a caesarean section and contributed to the overall rate of caesarean for 30 and 8.6% respectively. Low-risk women (groups 1, 2, 3 and 4) had a relative contribution of 31.3% to the overall rate of caesarean section. Improvement of the antenatal assessment of the prognosis of childbirth, particularly in the case of uterine scar or siege presentation, improvement of the quality of the supervision of the delivery work and the fight against prematurity will help to control the rate of caesarean section at the Bogodogo District Hospital.

Le contrôle du taux de césariennes est, de nos jours, une préoccupation importante pour le monde obstétrical, la priorité étant de tout mettre en œuvre pour pratiquer une césarienne chez toutes les femmes qui en ont besoin plutôt que d'atteindre un taux spécifique. La présente étude a pour objectif d'appliquer la classification de Robson à l'évaluation de la pratique de la césarienne à la maternité de l'hôpital de district de Bogodogo. Il s'agit d'une étude transversale descriptive sur une période de trois ans, du 1er janvier 2013 au 31 décembre 2015. La base informatique des dossiers de césarienne, les dossiers d'accouchement, les registres du bloc opératoire, de la salle d'accouchement et les rapports mensuels d'activités étaient les sources d'information utilisées. La fréquence hospitalière globale de césarienne était de 33,3 %. Le taux de césarienne attendu durant la même période selon le C-Model était de 9,7 %. Les patientes des groupes 5 (avec un utérus cicatriciel) et 6 (nullipares avec présentation de siège) de la classification de Robson ont toutes bénéficié d'une césarienne et ont contribué au taux global de césarienne pour respectivement 30 % et 8,6 %. La contribution relative cumulée au taux global de césarienne des groupes 1, 2, 3 et 4 (femmes à bas risque de césarienne) était de 31,3 %. L'amélioration de l'évaluation anténatale du pronostic de l'accouchement, notamment en cas de cicatrice utérine ou de présentation de siège, l'amélioration de la qualité de la surveillance du travail d'accouchement et la lutte contre la prématurité contribueront à maitriser le taux de césarienne à l'hôpital de district de Bogodogo.

Obstetric hemorrhages at the CHU-Yalgado Ouédraogo of Ouagadougou : etiological, therapeutic, and prognostic aspects.

To evaluate the maternal and perinatal prognosis of obstetric hemorrhages in the maternity department of the Yalgado Ouédraogo University Hospital of Ouagadougou. This descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in the four-month period from April through July 2015 included all women consulting on an emergency basis for vaginal bleeding during pregnancy at or after 28 weeks of gestation, or during labor, delivery, or the postpartum period. Obstetric hemorrhages accounted for 6% of admissions. The women's mean age was 27.7 years; 92.5% lived with a partner, and 43.1% were not employed outside the home. A retroplacental hematoma was the leading cause of antepartum hemorrhage, followed by placenta previa. Soft-tissue laceration was the primary cause of postpartum hemorrhage, accounting for 28.4% of these. Maternal morbidity was dominated by anemia with a fatality rate of 5.6%. With six twin pregnancies, there were 166 births : 60 stillbirths, and 106 live births (63.9%). The various neonatal morbidities encountered were mainly growth restriction (33.1%), prematurity (19.9%), and neonatal distress (19.3%). Obstetric hemorrhage, which affects young women who are often uneducated, unemployed, and of relatively low parity, is a serious public health problem. Both the maternal fatality rate and the perinatal mortality rate remain very high.

[Epidemiology of neonatal surgical emergencies in Ouagadougou]. / Épidémiologie des urgences chirurgicales néonatales à Ouagadougou.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of neonatal surgery emergencies and to highlight the main causes and difficulties related to better handling of these emergencies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a 1-year descriptive prospective study from September 2009 to September 2010 based on 102 cases collected. At admission, we studied the patients' age, the pathologies encountered, the related malformations, the terms for better management, and prognosis. FINDINGS: In 1 year, we registered 102 cases of neonatal surgical emergencies affecting the digestive tract (63.7%), the anterior side of the abdomen (24.5%), trauma (6.7%), and tumors (2%). Males comprised 60.8% of the cases. The sex-ratio was 1.55. The frequency of such cases was 3.94%. The average age of patients was 5 days with the 0- to 5-day-old age group presenting most frequently. The average hospitalization lasted 2.75 days and the admission method was the reference in 75.5%. Congenital pathology accounted for 95.5% of cases with anorectal malformations (ARM) (35; 95%) and omphaloceles (28.1%). Hirschsprung disease was the main cause of bowel obstruction other than ARM (50%). The average time to surgery was about 2.54 days. The overall mortality of neonatal surgical emergencies was 30.3% and postoperative mortality 32.35%. The late consultation, poverty, a shortage of qualified staff, prematurity, low birth weight, congenital disease, and related malformations were the leading factors of a poor prognosis. Acquisition of effective technical means, staff training, measures to combat poverty, and better prenatal care would improve the management of neonatal surgical emergencies. CONCLUSION: Neonatal surgical emergencies include conditions that require immediate and adequate support. The continuous training of healthcare workers at all levels in the detection of neonatal emergencies and equipping healthcare facilities are an absolute necessity to provide better management and reduce the mortality rate.

[Diagnostic problems of expansive intracranial process in HIV infected patients of the Bobo-Dioulasso Central Hospital (Burkina Faso)]. / Problèmes diagnostiques des processus expansifs intracrâniens chez les patients infectés par le VIH au Centre hospitalier de Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso).

In HIV infection, cerebral focal lesions are relatively frequent and raise many kinds of diagnostic problems. In tropical practice, neuroradiology is scarcely available and necropsy is still not developed. Therefore, diagnosis of intracerebral masses among patients is not easily performed. We examined a total of 72 patients who presented over a 3-year period. Patients were allocated to presumed diagnostic categories of toxoplasma encephalitis (TE), primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) or progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), based on clinical and therapeutic criteria. In an internal medicine ward, we examined 72 suspected cases of intracerebral masses in a sample of 43 males (60%) and 29 females (40%). The average age was 38 years with extremes ranging from 21 to 72 years. Because of diagnostic problems, the presumption of a TE has been retained in 54 cases (75% of the sample) owing to the efficiency of the treatment of antitoxoplasmic proof. As for the other intracerebral masses, despite insufficient diagnostic means, the assumption of PCNSL was made for 8 cases and PML for 6 cases on the basis of evolutional criteria. In 4 cases, no diagnosis could be retained because of insufficient diagnostic means and treatment failure. Since brain tomodensitometry and brain biopsy are not available, treatment of toxoplasmosis has to be systematically set up whenever there is a presumption of intracerebral masses among patients with HIV infection. It is only in case of failure of this treatment that other hypotheses can be contemplated, especially as they are not entirely reliable.

[Toxoplasma serology in HIV infected patients and suspected cerebral toxoplasmosis at the Central Hospital of Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso)]. / Sérologie toxoplasmique chez les patients infectés par le VIH et suspects de toxoplasmose cérébrale au Centre hospitalier de Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso).

A study was conducted in the Internal Medicine unit of Bobo-Dioulasso Hospital. Of the 1828 HIV positive patients admitted in medical wards, 268 presented neurological symptoms. 25.4% had positive Toxoplasma gondii serology. Encephalitis was associated with 12.5% of this latter group and intracranial hypertension with focal neurological defects affected a further 47.5% of them. Presumptive treatment of toxoplasmosis led to significant clinical improvement in 60% of cases. Toxoplasma gondii serology should be part of the standard check-up for every HIV-infected patient, and toxoplasmosis chemoprophylaxis should be given to those with positive toxoplasma serology. Presumptive therapy of toxoplasmosis should be started for all HIV positive patients with focal neurological manifestations in the absence of a cerebral scanner.

[Compared characteristics of peripheral facial paralysis according to HIV status in Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso)]. / Caractéristiques comparées des paralysies faciales périphériques selon le statut VIH à Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso).

Facial paralysis is a well-described manifestation of HIV infection. We report 27 cases of peripheral facial paralysis observed at Bobo-Dioulasso Hospital in a prospective study over a period of 9 months: 55 of the cases were HIV positive and 12/15 (80%) were in the 20-39 age group. Nine out of 11 females and 6 out of 16 males were seropositive. 13 of the cases were at stage B of CDC classification and 2 at stage C. ESR was elevated in all the HIV patients. CSF examination revealed lymphocytic pleiocytosis, elevated proteins and a positive HIV serology. CD4 counts were obtained in 8 cases and were under 400/mm3 in 4 cases. The clinical presentation was more severe in HIV seropositives with a longer duration of symptoms. Isolated peripheral facial paralysis associated with an elevated ESR in young adults suggest HIV infection and should lead to HIV counselling and testing.

[Perihepatitis and HIV/AIDS infection. Apropos of 13 cases at the National Hospital of Bobo-Dioulasso]. / Périhépatite et infection par le VIH/sida. A propos de 13 cas à l'Hôpital national de Bobo-Dioulasso.

Perihepatitis or Fitz-Hugh syndrome, peritonitis located in the right hypochondriasis (RH), is a relatively rare affectation. However, the HIV-AIDS pandemic has brought about the emergence and re-emergence of disease-states either uncommon or formerly on the decline as well as the appearance of opportunistic illness. We report the results of a retrospective study conducted in the National Hospital of Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina-Faso) between 1 June 1997 and 31 December 1999 in an effort to contribute to a wider vision of diseases associated with HIV-AIDS. We based our study on 130 laparoscopies carried out for unexplained pain linked to RH (with or without fever), as well as abdominal-pelvian or diffuse abdominal pain. Thirteen cases (11 women, 2 men) of perihepatitis were diagnosed. The mean age for women and men was respectively 31.4 and 39.5. HIV serology was systematically carried out for all patients and, in case of perihepatitis, cultures were taken. All patients were infected with HIV and some presented signs of AIDS according to the WHO classification. In clinical terms, a shalking pain for RH was noted for 5 patients, abdominal sensitivity in 8 cases as well as gynaecological anomalies: cul-de-sac moving pain (4 cases), leuchorrea (3 cases) and mucosic vulvovaginitis (1 case). Paraclinical tests revealed a slight hepatic cytolysis for only 3 patients (1.5 N). 6 patients tested positive for Chlamydia trachomatis; the 7 others could not be tested, but this aetiology was assumed for evaluating the efficacy of the treatment under study. The high frequency of perihepatitis in these patients, all of whom were suffering from HIV-AIDS, and its presence in the 2 male cases, suggest that immunodepression is conducive to the appearance of this disease.

[Peritoneal tuberculosis and HIV infection. Reflection apropos of 22 cases at the National Hospital of Bobo Dioulasso]. / Tuberculose péritonéale et infection par le VIH. Réflexion à propos de 22 cas à l'Hôpital national de Bobo Dioulasso.

Peritonitis tuberculosis is still a frequently encountered pathology in our hospital. Since the AIDS pandemic, cases of peritonitis tuberculosis present increasingly atypical characteristics, largely diverging from classical descriptions. The authors report on 22 cases of peritonitis tuberculosis associated with HIV infection. The study was carried out from June 1997 to December 1999 in the National Hospital Centre Souro SANOU of the Bobo Dioulasso internal office. It concerned 10 women and 12 men of a mean age of 37.9 years. The sex-ratio was 1.2 in favour of men. Diagnosis was established by laparoscopy. Peritonitis tuberculosis associated with HIV accounted for 78.5% of peritonitis tuberculosis cases. The clinical picture was dominated by isolated ascite (100%) associated with an oscillating high fever in 68.2% of cases. Negative results for IDR seemed to reflect poor prognosis. Response to treatment was slow but acceptable. The general prognosis was poor with a mortality rate of 18%.

[Neurologic manifestations associated with HIV infections at the Bobo-Dioulasso Hospital Center (Burkina Faso)]. / Manifestations neurologiques associées à l'infection par le VIH au Centre hospitalier de Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso).

Neurological manifestations of HIV infection are frequent and diverse. Diagnosis is often difficult due to geographical factors. 686 of the 3409 patients admitted to the Internal Medicine ward of Bobo-Dioulasso in 1995-1996 were HIV seropositive. This represents a prevalence of 20.1%. The sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of 101 patients with neurological problems during the study period are reported in this paper. This case series represents 14% of the HIV-positive admissions. The mean age was 35.7 years and 43% of the cases were aged 30 to 40 years. Sex-ratio was 1.6 male for 1 female. Focal deficits were observed in 36 of cases. Peripheral neuropathy (37%), meningitis or meningoencephalitis (20%), fitting (8%) and myelitis (8%) were the other clinical presentations. The etiology of the focal deficits was not ascertained because of the lack of tomodensitometry, specific serology and necropsy. Any neurological manifestation in a HIV seropositive patient should prompt investigations in order to diagnose those infections which can be treated, especially Toxoplasma gondii abscess and Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis.

[Malaria morbidity in adults living in urban Burkina Faso]. / Morbidité palustre, notamment chez l'adulte, en milieu urbain au Burkina Faso.

Urbanization in countries located in areas of endemic malaria can decrease the level of immunization and make malaria a more serious public health problem in adults. The purpose of this prospective study was to describe the clinical and parasitological features of malaria in adults in the city of Bobo Dioulasso in Burkina Faso. Study was carried out between July and November 1992 at the medical testing laboratory of the Muraz Center in 494 patients including 378 adults and 116 children under the age of 15 years. The parasitic index was 23% in adults as compared to 62% in children. There was not a significant difference in the parasitic index according to whether the place of residence was located in the city center or outlying suburbs. Parasite density ranged from 6 to 145,000 parasites per mm3 in adults as compared to 6 to 426,000 parasites per mm3 in children. Median parasitemia was 696 parasites per mm3 in adults as compared to 8800 per mm3 in children. The threshold of parasitemia for appearance of clinical symptoms was thus lower in adults than in children. Because of the poor positive predictive value of the main clinical features and the high incidence of self-treatment, microscopic examination is indispensable to confirm diagnosis of malaria. The results of this study indicate that urbanization in the city of Bobo Dioulasso has not significantly changed the level of immunization to malaria in adults.

[Laryngo-tracheo-bronchial foreign bodies in children at the University Hospital Center of Ouagadougou (analysis of 96 cases)]. / Les corps étrangers laryngo-trachéo-bronchiques chez l'enfant au CHU de Ouagadougou (une analyse de 96 observations).

Over a 10-year period, a series 96 patients were treated for laryngotracheal and bronchial foreign bodies in the ENT department of the Ouagadougou University Hospital Center (Burkina Faso). The purpose of this study was to analyze the epidemioclinical features and therapeutic pitfalls encountered in that series and to propose measures to improve management. The age of patients ranged from 10 months to 14 years. The male-female ratio was 1.7. Anamnesis documented foreign body aspiration was obtained in 77% of cases. The foreign body was organic in 78 cases (81.2%) including vegetal material in 56 cases. Management was delayed due to late diagnosis since only 59.3% of the patients were admitted to the hospital within the 48 first hours. Endoscopic removal was performed in all cases but such procedures remain challenging in developing countries due to a lack of proper anesthetic facilities, skilled personnel and adequate equipment. Tracheostomy was performed in 10.4% of cases mainly in patients with foreign bodies located in larynx. One patient died during extraction. In addition to providing more information and education on prevention of laryngotracheal and bronchial foreign bodies, better management requires better training of medical personnel and improvement of technical facilities.

[AIDS-related cryptococcal meningitis at the Bobo-Dioulasso Hospital Center: five case reports]. / La cryptococcose neuro-méningée au cours du SIDA au Centre Hospitalier de Bobo- Dioulasso: à propos de cinq cas.

The authors report five cases of Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis in HIV-positive patients hospitalized in the Souro Sanou National Hospital Center of Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso). There were 3 men and 2 women with a mean age of 36 years (range: 29 to 47 years). Presenting symptoms were persistent headache and/or mental confusion and neurosensory defects. Cerebrospinal fluid was clear with less than 20 lymphocytes/mm3. Albumin concentration greater than 0.50 g/l was observed in only one case. India ink smear and culture demonstrated strains of Cryptococcus neoformans sensitive to amphotericin B in all five cases, flucytosin in 3 cases, and ketoconazole in two cases. Four patients died within 15 to 32 days after admission (mean 22.5 days). Delayed diagnosis and inconsistent availability of systemic antifungal drugs are major limiting factors in the management of Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis in Burkina Faso.

[Salivary gland tumors. Apropos of 48 surgical cases]. / Les tumeurs des glandes salivaires. A propos de 48 cas opérés.

The interest of tumors of salivary gland has increased according to the nosology, diagnosis and therapeutic aspects. This study object to appreciate the frequency of this pathology at the ENT Department of the University Hospital Center of Ouagadougou and to report our experience in their diagnostic and therapeutic management. We have collected 48 cases, representing 2% of the department surgery activity and 7% of the tumors operated between 1985 and 1996. This report has concerned 32 parotid tumors (66.7%), 10 submaxillary tumors (20.8%), 6 minor gland tumors (12.5%). This series was composed of 28 women and 20 men with an average age of 41 years. Diagnosis management was based on clinical, radiologic and echographic examination. The correlation between preoperative and histological diagnosis was correct in 88.7% cases. Benign tumors represented 83.3% of the cases with essentially pleomorphic adenomas, and the malignant tumors 16.7% cases. Post operative evolution was simple in 85.4% cases. After 3 years, local recurrence occurred in 4 cases. The prognosis of malignant tumors has been unsatisfactory: the survival rate at 3 years has been 20%.