[Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment: Topography of breaks and agreement with lincoff's rules]. / Décollement de rétine rhegmatogène : topographie des déhiscences et conformité aux lois de Lincoff.

PURPOSE: To study the topography of retinal breaks and their agreement with Lincoff's rules. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective descriptive study of patients with recent rhegmatogenous retinal detachments followed on the ophthalmology service of Abass Ndao Hospital from January 2006 through December 2016. Patients with no prior retinal treatment were included. RESULTS: Over 11 years, we reviewed 97 patients with 107 eyes with retinal detachments. The mean age of our patients was 51.7 years, range 23-79 years. There were 69 male patients, for a male:female ratio of 2.46. Refraction revealed that 38.1% of patients were myopes. Fourteen percent (14%) of patients had experienced trauma to the eye with the detachment. The right eye was involved in 54.6% of patients. The onset was insidious in 54.6% of cases and sudden in 23.7% of cases. All patients had decreased visual acuity, associated with a scotoma in 26.8% of cases. Visual acuity was decreased to light perception through 7/10. In 64.9% of cases, Lincoff's rules were observed. DISCUSSION: Lincoff's rules are still relevant for localization of the breaks in retinal detachments. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of a retinal detachment is an essential step, since it determines the treatment. Lincoff's rules still have a role in finding the retinal break in retinal detachments.

[Role of CT in diagnosis and monitoring of retinoblastoma in Senegal]. / Apport de la TDM dans le diagnostic et le suivi du retinoblastome au Sénégal.

INTRODUCTION: Retinoblastoma is a malignant tumor of neuroepithelial origin, developed from young retinal cells, occurring in infants and young children. The goal of the study was to assess the role of CT in the diagnosis of retinoblastoma at the Aristide le Dantec Hospital in Dakar. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is an 11-year retrospective study of 160 patient records in the ophthalmology department and pediatric oncology unit of the same hospital. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty (160) patients were recruited. The male:female ratio was 1.05. The mean age was 32.19 months. Leukocoria was the most common clinical sign, occurring in 105 cases (65.62 %). The retinoblastoma was intraocular in 97 cases (60.62 %). We saw 122 (76.25 %) unilateral and 3 (1.87 %) trilateral presentations. CT was performed in 150 children with 110 cases (73.33 %) of calcifications ; 62 cases (41.33 %) of optic nerve invasion ; 24 cases (16 %) of extraocular muscle invasion and 18 cases (12 %) endocranial extension. Associated tumors were found on CT: 2 cases of suprasellar mass and 1 case of pineoblastoma. In patients whose specimens were analyzed, histology showed 48.15 % optic nerve invasion, consistent with the CT findings. DISCUSSION: CT has an important role in the diagnosis of retinoblastoma, despite its recent contraindication in bilateral and unilateral multinodular forms. CONCLUSION: CT is a good alternative to MRI in the diagnosis of retinoblastoma in developing countries with limited technological resources.

[Ametropia among senegalese children in a hospital setting]. / Amétropie de l'enfant sénégalais en milieu hospitalier.

INTRODUCTION: Ametropia is common in children and cause strabismus and amblyopia. The goal was to establish its prevalence in a hospital setting among Senegalese children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients under 15 years of age with clear ocular media. The marital status, circumstances of discovery, and results of cycloplegic refraction were recorded. RESULTS: Of 1506 children, 175 demonstrated ametropia. The mean age was 8 years, and the male : female ratio was 0.68. Family history of ametropia was present in 8.5 %. Decreased VA was present in 39.66 %, headache 10.06 %, and strabismus 4.47 %. Automated refraction in 109 patients and skiascopy in one patient showed 58.18 % cases of myopia, 18.18 % of hyperopia and 36.57 % of astigmatism. DISCUSSION: The most common ametropia was myopia. Patients were referred for symptomatic ametropia. CONCLUSION: Screening for ametropia might occur earlier if it is associated with pediatric monitoring in our regions.

[Giant retinal tears: Senegalese experience]. / Aspect thérapeutique des déchirures géantes de la rétine : expérience sénégalaise.

PURPOSE: To appreciate the epidemiological characteristics and to show the therapeutic aspects of the giant retinal tears. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study from January 2014 to June 2017 on subjects with giant retinal tears. Patients with media opacities limiting examination were excluded. RESULTS: We identified 17 cases of giant retinal tears. The frequency of detachments related to a giant retinal tear was 17% compared to all retinal tears. The mean age was 50.75 years with a sex ratio (M/F) of 6.5. We found three cases of high myopia, one case of hyperopia and four trauma cases. All patients had a decrease in visual acuity. The average time to consultation was four weeks. The mean intraocular pressure was 8mmHg. The tear was found in the left eye in eight cases and in the right eye in five cases; two cases were bilateral. We performed intraocular surgery in five eyes and laser in four eyes. We achieved anatomical reattachment and functional improvement in all operated patients. COMMENTS AND CONCLUSION: The prognosis of a giant retinal tear remains guarded, especially if patients are seen and treated late. Laser photocoagulation of giant tears remains effective, especially in cases of early diagnosis.

[Evaluation of mean macular thickness by optical coherence tomography (SD OCT) in black Senegalese subjects]. / Évaluation de l'épaisseur maculaire moyenne par la tomographie en cohérence optique (SD OCT) chez le sujet mélanoderme sénégalais.

INTRODUCTION: Our goal was to evaluate the normal macular thickness in Blacks by OCT and to determine socio-demographic and clinical parameters which may influence it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a multicenter, prospective, descriptive study over 6 months. It included Black adults followed in the ophthalmology departments of Abass Ndao and Aristide-Le-Dantec hospitals in Dakar. Included subjects had corrected visual acuity of 10/10 (0 logMAR) and P2 (+0.1 logMAR), clear ocular media, and no retinal abnormalities. We used the Topcon 3D 2000 OCT to measure the central thicknesses of the cornea (CT) and of the macula (MT), and cup to disc ratio (C/D) in each eye. Socio-demographic, clinical and tomographic data were collected on a survey form and correlated to the MT. The analysis was carried out by the Epi info 7 software. We used the Chi2 comparison test with a P value˂0.05. RESULTS: One hundred and nine patients were included. The mean age was 27.39 years with a male/female ratio of 0.65. The subjects were emmetropic in 54.13% of cases. The mean CT was 519.97µm, the mean C/D was 0.23, and the mean MT was 264.35µm. The P-value (P) was greater than or equal to 0.1 for all the factors studied. CONCLUSION: MT in our study was lower than that of Whites, and the various parameters studied did not demonstrate a statistically significant influence on MT.

[Perception of ocular blinding manifestations of sickle cell disease by practitioners in Dakar university hospital]. / Perception des lésions oculaires cécitantes de la drépanocytose par les praticiens hospitalo-universitaire de Dakar.

INTRODUCTION: In Senegal, 10% of the population are said to be carriers of hemoglobin S, the most widespread hemoglobinopathy in the world. It is responsible for potentially blinding ophthalmological manifestations. Few practitioners refer patients for ophthalmologic screening. The goal of our study was to assess the level of knowledge of practitioners of the blinding ocular lesions of sickle cell disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional prospective study was carried out over five months. It included Dakar university hospital practitioners aside from ophthalmologists. On the survey form, each practitioner specified his or her specialty and responded to eight questions regarding sickle cell patients seen in consultation, knowledge of the blinding lesions related to the disease, and ocular monitoring for blinding systemic diseases. The practitioners were divided into three groups: department of medicine and medical specialties (group I), surgery and surgical specialties (group II), and biology and functional testing (group III). The descriptive analysis was done with the EPI-INFO software version 6.04. RESULTS: The participation rate was 45.88%. Group I represented 45.29% of the sample, Group II 35.85% and Group III 18.86%. In all, 87.73% of practitioners saw sickle cell patients in consultation, 75.47% were aware of ocular involvement related to sickle cell disease, and 58.49% were aware of blinding lesions. 94.62% of practitioners saw sickle cell disease patients without systematically recommending ophthalmological consultation. CONCLUSION: Practitioners' level of knowledge of the blinding ocular lesions of sickle cell disease is considered to be low.

Savanna chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) nesting ecology at Bagnomba (Kedougou, Senegal).

We studied the nesting behavior of the critically endangered West African chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus). We assumed that the nesting data stemmed from a single, unhabituated community at the Bagnomba hill site in the savanna-woodlands of southeastern Senegal. The aim of this study was to examine chimpanzees' nesting habits in terms of the tree species utilized and sleeping nest heights. We recorded a total of 550 chimpanzee nests at Bagnomba between January 2015 and December 2015. The chimpanzees here made nests in particular tree species more often than others. The majority of nests (63%) were in two tree species: Diospyros mespiliformis and Pterocarpus erinaceus. The average height of nesting trees was 10.54 m (SD 3.91, range, 0.0-29.0 m) and average nest height was 7.90 m (SD 3.62, range, 0.0-25.0 m). The result of a linear regression analysis (r = 0.7874; n = 550; p < 0.05) is consistent with a preference for nesting at a particular height. Bagnomba chimpanzees rarely made ground nests (0.36% of nests), but the presence of any ground nesting was unexpected, given that at least one leopard (Panthera pardus) also occupied the hill. This knowledge will enable stakeholders involved in the protection of chimpanzees specifically and of biodiversity in general to better understand chimpanzee ecology and inform a conservation action plan in Senegal where the survival of this species is threatened.

[Patients' quality of life after cataract surgery]. / Qualité de vie des patients après chirurgie de la cataracte.

INTRODUCTION: Our goal is to assess the Quality of Life (QL) of our patients after cataract surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a multicenter prospective study from July 2012 to December 2013 including patients undergoing cataract surgery, aged 18 and older. A survey sheet with sociodemographic data, clinical data and QL survey (VF-14) was given to each patient after surgery at day 7 (D7), one month (M1) and two months (M2) postoperatively. The final score was obtained by the following formula: QL=V (%)=(F __/__ C)×25. The data analysis was performed using SPSS software. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients were included, 56 men, and 61 years was the mean age. The mean QL score was 29.86% at D7, 73.97% at M1 and 81.21% at M2. Subjects between 18 and 30 years of age had a score of 90.15% vs. 82.52% at M2 for older patients. After optical correction, the quality of life scores increased from 83.22% at D7 to 93.18% at M2. Patients who did not have functional signs had a QL score of 83.94%. Anxious patients had a QL score of 44% at D7, 61.23% at M1 and 52.67% at M2. CONCLUSION: Good surgical outcomes require, in addition to clinical success, good quality of life. Several factors may influence this quality of life.

[Rare causes of childhood leukocoria]. / Les causes rares de leucocorie chez l'enfant.

PURPOSE: The purpose was to record the causes of leukocoria among children under 10years of age and to determine the proportion of rare causes of leukocoria. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted over a period of ten years, from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2013, in patients under 10years of age who were referred for leukocoria. RESULTS: Leukocoria represented one of the ten reasons for consultation among children under 10years of age. The mean age of our patients was 42.5months. In 76 % of cases, the leukocoria patients were children under 6years of age. Male patients were affected more commonly, with a sex-ratio of 1.5. Patients coming from Dakar and its suburbs represented two thirds of the total. Bilateral involvement represented 53.7 % of the total. Cataracts were responsible for 74.3 % of cases, retinoblastoma 20.58 %, retinal detachment 0.96 %, retinopathy of prematurity 0.96 %, pupillary membrane persistence 0.96 %, persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous 0.64 %, endophthalmitis 0.64 %, optic nerve coloboma 0.32 %, iris heterochromia 0.32 % and ametropia 0.32 %. DISCUSSION: The total percentage of rare causes was 5.12 % in our study, including one case of hyperopia. These etiologies, although rare, do exist. CONCLUSION: Rare causes of leukocoria require special attention. The discovery of leukocoria necessitates rigorous etiological work-up. Ametropia must be a diagnosis of exclusion.

[Senegalese experience with acute viral conjunctivitis]. / Expérience sénégalaise des conjonctivites virales aiguës.

PURPOSE: To study the epidemiological and clinical aspects of acute enteroviral and adenoviral conjunctivitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study was conducted between January 1st and October 31st, 2015, jointly between two Ophthalmology services and a virology laboratory, which identified 51 patients. Were included all patients who presented a painful red eye without loss of visual acuity associated with secretions,evolving for less than 4weeks RESULTS: The mean age was 32 years, and the sex ratio 1:1. Over half of our patients (61%) came from populous districts. A history of the virus "going around" was reported by 30 patients (59% of cases). Virological testing was positive in 35 patients (68.7% of cases). Over 90% of samples collected during the first week of clinical signs were positive. CONCLUSION: Viral conjunctivitis is a contagious condition, the spread of which is favored by promiscuity. Adenovirus and enterovirus are the main causative agents. They are present on an endemic scale in Senegal; thus, the need for better epidemiological surveillance in order to limit spread.

[Epidemiological, clinical and forensic physical violence against women in Tambacounda (Senegal)]. / Aspects épidémiologiques, cliniques et judiciaires des violences physiques faites aux femmes dans la région de Tambacounda (Sénégal).

INTRODUCTION: To contribute to the fight against physical violence against women, this work aimed to make a 10-year review of cases treated at the Regional Court of Tambacounda. METHODOLOGY: This observational, retrospective, descriptive and analytical study was conducted from 15 October 2014 to 15 April 2015. It covered all the court records of victims of intentional injury from 2006 to 2015. The data was entered and analyzed using Epi info 3.3.2 software. RESULTS: In all, 113 cases were treated. The mean age was 26.5±10.08 years for victims versus 32.5±13.8 years for the aggressors. The victims were all female, and 77.9% of offenders were male. The assaults took place mostly during the day (57.5%), and especially in the homes of victims (61.0%), in the street (16.8%) in the bush (12.4%). The consultation period was less than 24hours for 54.9% of the victims. Clinical examination differentiated: fractures (15%); contusions (13.5%); penetrating wounds (10.6%); bruises (9.7%); eye injuries (7.9%); broken teeth (7.9%); diffuse pains (7.1%), 6.2% polytrauma (6.2%), and 5.3% of trauma on pregnancies. Among the violence, 33.6% were domestic; 11.5% were associated with rape (7.1%); psychological violence (3.6%); rape and death threat (1.8%). Rape was statistically more common among child victims [OR=10.7 (3.2-35.5)] and/or educated victims [OR=5.8 (1.7-19.9)] and aggression in the bush [OR=7.5 (2.2 to 14.2)]. The attackers were lonely and imprisoned in 94.7% and 73.5% of cases respectively. The sentence was firm imprisonment for 89.2% of cases. CONCLUSION: In Tambacounda, health and judicial authorities should enhance public awareness concerning the risk of violence. The extension of this type of study to the national level would have enabled better orientation of control strategies against this scourge.

[Isolated microspherophakia in a Senegalese family]. / Microsphérophakie isolée dans une famille sénégalaise.

PURPOSE: To report the clinical investigation of isolated microspherophakia involving a Senegalese family in order to appreciate its functional impact. OBSERVATIONS: This is a rural family comprised of 7 members. The sibship included three girls and two boys. One of the girls, who lived in a distant zone, was unable to be examined. Of all the examined members of the family, only the father was unaffected by the illness. There was no consanguinity. The general medical examination was normal. The best-corrected visual acuity (VA) for the girls was 2/10. For one of the boys, BCVA was 8/10 for both eyes, and for the other, BCVA was 10/10 for the right eye and 8/10 for the left eye. The mother's VA was 10/10 and P2 without correction. Myopia and astigmatism were present in the 4 children of the sibship. During the examination, we noted the presence of small crystalline lenses, which were very round and presented an abnormal visibility of the lens equator and zonular fibers. The diagnosis of microspherophakia was confirmed by measurement of the lens diameters by ultrasound biomicroscopy. Complications were present in the girls, including pupillary block glaucoma and amblyopia for the elder, and retinal degeneration and amblyopia for the younger daughter. The elder daughter was managed medically with glaucoma drops. The younger daughter received optical correction and a prophylactic Argon LASER treatment. The two boys received optical correction. No treatment was recommended for the mother. CONCLUSION: Microspherophakia is a rare condition. Some serious complications can lead to amblyopia. A better multidisciplinary evaluation would allow for early detection and a better prognosis.

Spermatological characters of the digenean Lecithostaphylus retroflexus (Molin, 1859) (Microphalloidea: Zoogonidae), a parasite of the teleost fish Belone belone gracilis.

The ultrastructural organization of the spermatozoon of the digenean Lecithostaphylus retroflexus (Microphalloidea: Zoogonidae) was described. Alive digeneans were collected from Belone belone gracilis (Teleostei: Belonidae), caught from the Gulf of Gabès in Chebba (Tunisia). The mature spermatozoon of L. retroflexus exhibits two axonemes of different lengths with the 9+'1' Trepaxonematan pattern, a nucleus, two mitochondria, two bundles of parallel cortical microtubules and granules of glycogen. Additionally, the spermatozoon of L. retroflexus shows type 2 of the external ornamentation according to Quilichini et al. (2011), spine-like bodies and a continuous and submembranous layer of parallel cortical microtubules surrounding the axonemes at their anterior end. Moreover, the morphology of the posterior spermatozoon extremity in L. retroflexus corresponds to the fasciolidean type according to Quilichini et al. (2010).

Ultrastructure of the spermatozoon of the digenean Tergestia acanthocephala (Stossich, 1887) (Gymnophalloidea: Fellodistomidae): An intestinal parasite of Belone belone gracilis (Pisces: Teleostei).

The ultrastructural organization of the spermatozoon of the digenean Tergestia acanthocephala (Gymnophalloidea: Fellodistomidae) is described. Live digeneans were collected from Belone belone gracilis (Teleostei: Belonidae), caught off the Gulf of Gabès in Chebba (Tunisia). The mature spermatozoon of T. acanthocephala exhibits the general pattern described in numerous digeneans, characterized by the presence of two axonemes of the different length of the 9+'1' pattern of the Trepaxonemata, a nucleus, two mitochondria, two bundles of parallel cortical microtubules, external ornamentation, spine-like bodies and granules of glycogen. Moreover, the morphology of the posterior spermatozoon extremity in T. acanthocephala corresponds to the fasciolidean type of Quilichini et al. (2010a).

Ultrastructure of the spermatozoon of Helicometroides atlanticus (Digenea, Monorchiidae), an intestinal parasite of Parapristipoma octolineatum (Pisces, Teleostei) in Senegal.

The mature Helicometroides atlanticus spermatozoon exhibits an anterior electron-dense material, two axonemes of the 9+"1" pattern, a nucleus, two mitochondria, extramembranous ornamentations located at the level of the first mitochondrion and cortical microtubules arranged into two fields: a ventral field corresponding to the mitochondrial side and a dorsal field corresponding to the nuclear side. It lacks of spine-like body and a cytoplasmic expansion as in Monorchis parvus the only species of Monorchioidea which spermatozoon has been described until now. Nevertheless, it is distinguished from M. parvus by the presence of an anterior electron-dense material and two axonemes which appear one after the other.

[Nutritional status of street children in the district of Manga (Burkina Faso)]. / État nutritionnel des enfants de la rue dans la commune de Manga (Burkina Faso).

Malnutrition is an important indicator of development, and its consequences in children and adolescents produce a serious socioeconomic burden. Children living on the street are more vulnerable than others. Thus, our objective was to analyze the nutritional status of children living on the streets of Manga, through a cross-sectional and analytical study. The snowball technique was used for sampling. Data came from individual interviews, blood samples and medical examinations. Of the 237 children studied, 84.8% were boys; the overall mean age was 11.5 years, and 72.6% were adolescents (aged 10 to 17 years). Growth retardation (15.9%) predominated among the children aged 4 to 9 years, while a weight deficit (27.9%) was most common among those aged 10 to 17. Half of the children (50.2%) with blood tests (N = 119) had anemia. There was a link between anemia and underweight (p = 0.0145). Children who ate at least three times a day were 2.63 times less likely to be anemic (p<0.001). Factors associated with anemia (p<0.005) included survival activities. We frequently found nutritional deficits and anemia in these children. A targeted nutritional program would be a good entry point for their successful reintegration..

[Objective refraction in black children: cyclopentolate and tropicamide combination, a reliable alternative to atropine?]. / Réfraction objective chez l'enfant mélanoderme: l'association cyclopentolate et tropicamide, une alternative fiable à l'atropine ?

INTRODUCTION: Cycloplegia allows for an objective refraction in children. Atropine is the gold standard but causes prolonged blurred vision. Cyclopentolate is less effective but less disabling. Tropicamide is a weak cycloplegic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a cyclopentolate and tropicamide combination (CTA) versus atropine for refraction in black children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a prospective study between October 2011 and July 2012 on all children seen in consultation. Objective refraction was performed after cycloplegia with cyclopentolate 0.5% combined with tropicamide 0.5%, and then after cycloplegia with atropine. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients were recruited, 14 boys and 19 girls. The average age was 9.9 years. The mean age of the patients was 9.9 years. Astigmatism was found in 96.9% of cases. It was 1.34±1.32 diopters with CTA and 1.35±1.22 diopters with atropine. The mean axis was 98.15 and 99.8, respectively. Hyperopia and myopia were found in 39 and 27 eyes, respectively with ACT (average 1.73 and 5.37 diopters), and in 41 and 19 eyes with atropine (average 2.06 and 6.11 diopters). DISCUSSION: There is a good correlation of results with regards to cylindrical and spherical refractive error between the two protocols. Atropine is the best cycloplegic, however ACT provides reliable results. CONCLUSION: The cyclopentolate-tropicamide combination is satisfactory for routine cycloplegia in children.

Analyse de la prise en charge communautaire des orphelins et enfants rendus vulnerables (OEV) par le VIH/SIDA : experience de l'organisation communautaire de base (OCB) Jammixale yi Thies (Senegal)

Introduction: le VIH/SIDA ne cesse de provoquer de multiples difficultes avec l'accroissement du nombre d'orphelins et enfants vulnerables (OEV). Au Senegal; 3193 OEV etaient recenses en 2008. L'objectif etait d' analyser la prise en charge communautaire des OEV par l'organisation communautaire de base (OCB) JammiXale Yi (JXY) de Thies afin de mieux apprecier les effets psychologiques du VIH sur les enfants; les parents. Population et methode: Il s'agissait d'une etude transversale faite en 2009 aupres des agents de sante; des OEV et de leurs parents. Des entretiens individuels et des focus groups ont permis de recueillir des donnees. Selon la source et la cible; une triangulation des informations avait ete faite Resultats : 61 OEV etaient suivis. L'age moyen etait de 9;82 ans; variant entre 2 mois et 17 ans. Le sex- ratio etait de 1;08 (filles = 48).Dans cet OCB; 99 des enfants etaient a l'ecole publique; 20 avaient une bourse scolaire ; 92 n'etaient pas depistes. Parmi ceux depistes; 8 etaient seropositifs.Selon la cible; les principaux effets psychosociaux du VIH/SIDA etaient pour les enfants: l'utilisation de l'alcool; de la drogue; la prostitution. Pour les parents venaient au premier rang : la discrimination; le non depistage des enfants; les difficultes d'acces aux soins de qualite; l'attitude d'indiscretion du personnel de la sante. Les agents de sante avaient surtout souligne le manque de formation sur la prise en charge psychologique des OEV. Conclusion : on note l'importance des effets psychosociaux du VIH/SIDA sur les enfants; leurs parents et la difficulte de la prise en charge communautaire de cette maladie dans les pays a ressources limitees

[Economic impact of skin-lightening products on household income in sub-Saharan Africa: the case of Senegal]. / Poids économique de la dépigmentation artificielle sur le revenu des ménages d'Afrique subsaharienne : cas du Sénégal.

INTRODUCTION: As throughout sub-Saharan Africa, the use of skin-lightening (or brightening or bleaching) products is widespread in Senegal (67%). Although the medical and social determinants of this phenomenon have been documented, its cost is poorly defined. Thus, this work aims to evaluate the economic effects of skin bleaching on women's income. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional, quantitative, and descriptive survey was conducted in 2010 (October 7 to November 8) among women consulting for outpatient care at a reference dermatology clinic for complications related to use of skin-lightening products. We calculated the direct costs (products) and indirect costs (transportation costs, medical fees, dermatological treatment of complications). The social damage (pain and suffering and esthetics) was assessed. RESULTS: This study included 65 women; their mean age was 33 years and 26% had not attended school. In all, 52% were merchants, 29% housewives, 9% civil servants, and 5% students. The average duration of product use was 9 years, and the mean age at onset of use, 23 years. Most (80%) had a low income (<100,000 FCFA or US $204). The total monthly income of the 65 women in the study was 5,675,000 CFA (US $ 11,582). The total monthly cost of skin lightening for them was 1081,658 CFA (US $ 2207), that is, 19% of their total income. The esthetic harm was categorized as moderate by 20% and high by 22%. CONCLUSION: This study opens perspectives for further studies of the intangible costs of skin bleaching and for increasing awareness of the complications and social damage induced.