[Clinico-pathologic aspects of rhinosporidiosis in the Ivory Coast. Report of 9 cases observed over 18 years]. / Aspects anatomo-cliniques de la rhinosporidiose en Cote d'Ivoire. A propos de 9 cas observés en 18 ans.

The authors report 9 cases of rhinosporidiosis observed in Côte d'Ivoire. Young subjects are generally concerned with E.N.T. and eye manifestations. There is a male preponderance. Pathological aspects are classical. Surgery has been the only treatment with good results.

Threat of number.

PIP: Population growth in Nigeria is particularly problematic because population is expected to increase dramatically from 115 million to 280 million in 25 years. At present there are 206 million in the entire West African sub-region. The population density issues within Nigeria and the region are also reasons for concern. About 50% of Nigeria's population is presently under 20 years old, and the likelihood of this proportion continuing for some time is very high. Population growth will mean increased demand for housing, food, health services, education, electricity, and water. The UN has issued warnings that population pressures strain scarce resources, the environment, and people's adjustment. A national population policy was established in order to improve the standard of living of Nigerians and to promote health and welfare among the population. The policy aims to lower population growth through voluntary family planning and through reductions in infant, child, and maternal mortality. In 1989 the Nigerian government in conjunction with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) committed about $100 million in a 5-year program to strengthen family planning: $33 million from Nigeria and $67 million from USAID. The federal Ministry of Health would maintain family health services with integrated primary health care and with promotion of the balance between resources and number of children. Other international efforts have contributed to family planning programs. For example, the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria focused on adult males and youth. Oral contraceptives and injectables have received criticism in Nigeria for having undesirable health consequences despite their popularity worldwide, the absence of significant side effects, and international and national support. Vasectomy is becoming more popular in Oyo state. Family planning has not been popular because of many misconceptions. Both Muslim and Catholic leaders have encouraged responsible parenthood, although Catholic leaders reject contraception.^ieng

Yes, father, but.

PIP: Cultural norms limit the ability of Nigerian women to exercise control over their reproductive lives. Having a large number of children in rapid succession is still regarded as an act of obedience to God and husband. The Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria has opened clinics to educate women about the risks to both mother and child inherent in having more than four births. Family planning workers are aware, however, that little change will occur in the absence of improvements in women's status and involvement by men in educational programs. Also needed is education to reduce the preference for sons. Encouraging is a trend toward contraceptive use among professional women in Nigeria. In the past decade, contraceptive prevalence has increased from 5% to 10%.^ieng

AIDS--the leading cause of adult death in the West African City of Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

In 1988 to 1989, 698 adult cadavers in Abidjan's two largest morgues were studied, representing 38 to 43% of all adult deaths in the city over the study period, and 6 to 7% of annual deaths. Forty-one percent of male and 32% of female cadavers were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Fifteen percent of adult male and 13% of adult female annual deaths are due to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). In Abidjan, AIDS is the leading cause of death and years of potential life lost in adult men, followed by unintentional injuries and tuberculosis. In women, AIDS is the second leading cause of death and premature mortality, after deaths related to pregnancy and abortion. AIDS-specific and AIDS-proportional mortality rates may be higher in other African cities where AIDS has been found for a longer time than in Abidjan.

[Histopathology of bilharziasis]. / Histopathologie de la bilharziose.

Our conception of Bilharziosis, one of the oldest known illness, has been considerably modified during the last twenty years with the development of Immunology. In fact, it is now established that the severity of the illness depends upon the importance of granuloma which arises round the emprisoned egg in the tissues and the sclerosis mutilation which follows. It is possible to describe, successively around the egg, exsudative granuloma, productive granuloma, and sclerocicatricial nodule whose size will depend upon the tissular immunity. In particular this granuloma will be practically non-existent when the endogenic desensitization of the subject is maximal. In this case the egg will remain undestroyed and there will be egg's calcification in the tissue. Contrarily, in the case of minor tissular immunity there will be serious collagenous mutilations as in Symmers hepatic fibrosis. It is therefore preferable that a histopathological study be part of the routine investigations of this disease: it confirms itself as one of the best prognostic criteria.

[Generalized and lethal pentastomiasis due to Armillifer grandis (Hett, 1915)]. / Pentastomose généralisée et mortelle à Armillifer grandis (Hett, 1915).

The authors described a case of generalised and lethal Pentastomiasis by a five years old girl. The most heavy parasitised organs are the lungs and the brain. Considering the age of the child and the uncommon density of the parasites, the authors suggest that the symptoms may follow the casual ingestion of a gravid female worm.

[Burkitt's disease in the Ivory Coast: anatomo-clinical and epidemiologic considerations]. / La maladie de Burkitt en Côte-d' Ivoire: considérations anatomo-cliniques et épidémiologiques

The authors study the epidemiological conditions of the appearance of Burkitt's disease on the Ivory Coast. This condition represents 4.12% of cancers observed in this country. From a thorough study of the differences in temperature, relative humidity, vapour pressure, hours of sunlight, amount of rainfall, they were able to pick out that equatorial forest zones are more at risk than the savannah zones. The climatic conditions in the forest render intervention by a vector plausible, either directly or indirectly via malaria or other parasitic infestations.

[14 cases of constrictive endocardial fibrosis (or endomyocardial fibrosis]. / Sur 14 cas de fibrose endocardique constrictive (ou fibrose endo-myocardiuqe)

Constrictive endocardial fibrosis (CEF) or endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) was studied on 14 files of this rather frequent disease in Ivory Coast. On the basis of the data derived from angiocardiography, catheterization and mechanograms, the clinical signs are interpreted better. Thus one is able to describe with accuracy some clinical forms, the commonest of which being a right heart restriction combined with left-sided signs. It seems important underline how useful the external pulse recordings might be useful for the diagnosis in view of their analogy with the pressure curves. In this disease with a severe course, bold surgical treatments provide some hope. On the contrary, its aetiology remains mysterious. Our best landmark being the link of CEP with tropical ecology, and in particular, in our cases, with the warm and damp forest ecology of some areas.