[Traditional bonesetter's gangrene of limb in children in Regional Hospital of Kaolack (Senegal)]. / Gangrène de membre à la suite d'un traitement traditionnel de fractures par attelle en bambou chez l'enfant à l'Hôpital régional de Kaolack (Sénégal).

Little published data exist on the morbidity and mortality associated with poor trauma care in developing countries. This report highlights our experience with iatrogenic limb gangrene related to fracture management by traditional bonesetters. Children with bonesetter's gangrene were identified from a prospectively recorded paediatric surgery database at the Regional Hospital of Kaolack in Central Senegal. 21 children were treated for bonesetter's gangrene during a 18-month period (January 2007 up to June 2008). The average age was 10 years (range, 5 to 15 years). Bonesetter's gangrene was more common in boys (90.5%) and occurred almost exclusively in children from rural areas where access to health care was limited. 16 children underwent proximal extremity amputation. Complications included one case of tetanus. Bonesetter's gangrene is a preventable complication that results from a failure of child health planners to recognize the importance of basic trauma care. Management of fractures should be considered an essential component of child health programs in developing countries.

[Peritonitis following gastroduodenal ulcer perforation disease in children: report of 4 cases]. / Les péritonites par perforation d'ulcère gastroduodénal chez l'enfant : à propos de 4 observations.

Peritonitis due to gastroduodenal ulcer perforation disease is a rare entity in pediatric surgery. In Senegal, no study has been dedicated to ulcer complications in children. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of perforated peptic ulcer in patients less than 15 years old. This retrospective study was conducted in the Surgical Emergencies and Paediatric Surgery Department at Aristide Le Dantec University Hospital Center in Dakar, Senegal, during a period of 11 years (January 1999 to December 2010). We found 4 children who presented perforated gastroduodenal ulcer: 3 females and 1 male. The average age of these patients was 9 years (range, 7-14 years). No family history was found. We noted 3 cases of perforated duodenal ulcer and one perforated gastric ulcer. The clinical diagnosis was suspected based on a peritoneal irritation syndrome. A plain x-ray of the abdomen was taken in all patients, which objectified a pneumoperitoneum image in 3 cases. The leukocytosis was constant. Treatment in all patients consisted on pre-, intra-, and postoperative intensive care, supra- and infraumbilical midline laparotomy, which allowed us to perform a debridement-suture of the gap followed by epiploplasty and extensive washing with lukewarm physiologic serum. Adjuvant therapy based on anti-ulcer and antibiotic therapy was initiated. Bacteriological examination of peritoneal fluid isolated a polymicrobial flora. Helicobacter pylori was not isolated. Histological examination of the biopsied perforation edges showed a benign ulcer in all cases. The follow-up endoscopy was performed 4 weeks after surgery and showed cicatrization of the ulcer in all patients. After a mean of 2 years, no recurrence was noted. The gastric or duodenal ulcer in children is rare. It is often discovered at the stage of perforation, a complication for which the essential treatment is surgery. Routine screening would certainly help to reduce the risk of this complication.

Aphallia: a case report and literature review.

Aphallia is a complex urogenital malformation. It is rarely described in literature. Treatment calls upon feminising genitoplasty in most cases. Authors describe a case in a neonate, insisting on the sociocultural realities which guided their indications.

Malformations anorectales a l'Hopital de Panzi: aspects epidemiologiques et therapeutiques. A propos de 15 cas

Introduction : Les malformations anorectales (MAR) regroupent des anomalies diverses allant de la simple malposition anale a l'absence totale du rectum et de l'anus. Leur frequence est estimee a 1/5000 naissances. Le but de cette etude etait de decrire les aspects epidemiocliniques et therapeutiques des malformations anorectales diagnostiquees et prises en charge a l'Hopital de Panzi entre le 1er janvier 2004 et le 31 decembre 2008. Materiel et methodes : Une etude retrospective des dossiers de patients admis pour malformations anales a permis de colliger 15 cas. Les parametres d'interet enregistres comprenaient : - l'identite; l'age et le sexe ; - les donnees cliniques dont le motif de consultation et l'examen physique ; - l'imagerie avec l'invertogramme en cas de MAR totalement obstructive; la fistulographie en cas de fistule observee; ou encore la colographie chez les patients ayant beneficie d'une colostomie en premiere intention. Le traitement qui consistait en une derivation de selles avant la creation d'un neoanus soit par un double abord abdomino-perineal (technique de Stephens-Douglas); soit par une plastie YV; etait egalement renseigne. Resultats : La frequence hospitaliere de la malformation anorectale etait de 7;73. L'age median des enfants etait de 12 jours (extremes de 1 jour et 2 ans). Il s'agissait de dix garcons et cinq filles. Les circonstances de decouverte etaient dominees par un syndrome occlusif (10 cas); l'emission de selles par un orifice perineal ectopique (4 cas); une meconiurie (1 cas). L'examen clinique et radiologique avaient permis de classer les enfants en MAR haute (8 cas); MAR basse (5 cas) et MAR intermediaire (2 cas). Quatre enfants presentaient des malformations associees a type d'agenesie sacree (2 cas); une hernie ombilicale (1 cas) et une communication interventriculaire (1 cas). La colostomie etait systematique (15 cas); l'abaissement etait realise soit selon la technique de Stephens - Douglas (10 cas); soit par une plastie Y-V (2 cas). Six cas de deces ont ete deplores dont trois apres la colostomie et les trois autres sont survenus apres la cure definitive de la malformation anorectale. La continence anale; evaluee chez 9 enfants apres un recul moyen de 16 mois; etait normale chez 6 d'entre eux. On notait une souillure des couches dans 3 observations. Conclusion : La MAR est une realite dans notre contexte et le diagnostic est facilite par une integration des donnees cliniques simples et d'imagerie. La precocite du diagnostique et le traitement chirurgical de reconstitution representent les mesures adequates de prise en charge

[Risk factors for neonatal mortality. The pediatric surgery service, Aristide Le Dantec University Hospital, Dakar]. / Facteurs de mortalite neonatale dans le service de Chirurgie Pediatrique du Chu Aristide le Dantec de Dakar.

OBJECTIVES: To determine neonatal mortality factors at the paediatric surgeon service in Aristide Le Dantec University Hospital in Dakar. PATIENTS AND METHODS: It is a retrospective study of 245 cases collected between January 1997 and December 2006 at the paediatric surgeon service, the surgery emergency and intensive care unit of Aristide Le Dantec University Hospital. We studied the age, sex, geographical origins, consultation time, weight at birth, evacuation means to the reference medical structure, consultation motives, clinical diagnosis, associated malformations, treatment methods, surgery follow ups and death causes. RESULTS: The neonatal death rate at the paediatric surgery service was 36.7 %. Our patients' average age was eight days. A masculine predominance was observed with a 1.57 sex ratio. The average admission time was 08 days. Sixty-five per cent (65%) of our patients came from suburbs. Thirty-eight per cent were transported by an ambulance from a health centre. Fifty-three per cent (53%) weighed less than 2,500 grams at birth. The occlusive syndrome was the commonest reason for consultation (38.5 %). The most frequently observed pathology was the ano-rectal malformations. Associated malformations were observed in 12% of the cases. The majority of the patients (52%) died before the surgical operation after an average duration of 5 days. The commonest causes of death are the digestive malformations (66%). CONCLUSION: Male newborn babies, aged less than 8 days are the most vulnerable age group. The lack of hospital transportation means, the weak weight at birth, the caring time and the digestive pathologies are other factors of wrong diagnosis. A multidisciplinary collaboration, the improvement of the technical capacity and of the available emergency therapeutic means and the creation of an intensive paediatric care unit would certainly contribute to lower the mortality rate.