Oesophageal carcinoma in the horn of Africa Ten year cumulative experience in two hospitals in Djibouti.

INTRODUCTION: In this paper we report on our experience of diagnosis, treatment and follow up of cases of cancer of the oesophagus treated in Balbala Cheiko Hospital and in the Djibouty Military Hospital. Oesophageal cancer, mainly squamous cellular type, is the prevalent cancer of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) observed in our two Hospitals. Djibouti is a small pacific country located in the Horn of Africa in the tropics, bordered by Somaliland in the south, Ethiopia in the southwest, Eritrea in the north and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in the east. Yemen lies across the Gulf of Aden. Djibouti is the principal maritime port for Ethiopia. The country was formerly French Somaliland and it became independent from France in June 1977. It is a multi-ethnic nation with a population of just over 900,000. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From January 2011 to April 2021, we observed 159 patients diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus: 89 females representing 56 % and 70 males representing 44 %. An Oesophageal Cancer Card (see Annex 1) was completed for each patient. 107 patients (67.30%) reported regularly (twice a week) chewing of khat (see Annex 2) and 68 patients (42,76%) regularly smoked more than 20 cigarettes and drank more than three very hot cups of coffee or tea per day. All patients underwent an oesophagoscopy with biopsy. Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) was confirmed by histology in all cases, 89 of them being females (64%) which is surprisingly different from data reported in the literature which reports a general prevalence of males. 60 patients (37.7 % of the total) underwent surgery. The Ivor-Lewis operation was the most frequent type of surgery and was done in 44 patients (66.6%). RESULTS: Our ten years experience involved two hospitals serving a large area. Cancer of the oesophagus (OC) was the prevalent gastrointestinal cancer we observed, second only to female breast cancer. There are no facilities in the country for radiotherapy. It is very difficult to report on long term survival because most of patients live in rural areas which are very difficult to reach and they rarely return for medical check-ups. The best survival recorded was a 48 year old Afar male who was still alive 6 years after an Ivor-Lewis operation was performed for squamous carcinoma on 3 April 2014 and checked on September 2020. A further 6 patients (2 males and 4 females, 3 with adenocarcinoma and 3 with squamous cell carcinoma) recently checked are still alive and come in regularly for check-up. CONCLUSIONS: Oesophageal cancer is one of the most frequent cancers found in the Horn of Africa and our experience in Djibouti confirms the data of the literature 16,28,29. A peculiarity in our study is the high prevalence in the female population. Our recommendation is to set-up an oesophageal cancer unit (OCU) with a team of specialists: gastroenterologist, surgical oncologist, anaesthesiologists, pathologists, nutritionalists and trained nurses who could ensure, not only hospital support, but also the active post operative follow up of patients. The implementation of a National Cancer Register would be mandatory. KEY WORDS: Oesophageal Cancer, Ivor Lewis Operation, Follow up, Djibouti.

Post-operative transmesosigmoid hernia causing small bowel obstruction: a case report.

Internal hernia is an unusual cause of small bowel obstruction and classified several types according to locations. Transmesosigmoid hernia is rare type among others mesosigmoid hernia was rarely reported in the literature. We report the case of a 44-year-old male who presented with acute abdominal pain and developed a small intestinal obstruction. History, clinical and radiography examination were suggested intestinal obstruction due to postoperative adhesion. The diagnosis of small bowel obstruction due to internal hernia was confirmed by laparotomy exploration. The herniated loop was reduced successfully and the defect was approximated with interrupted sutures. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient is free from symptoms and recurrence. This case report highlight difficulty and importance of high index of suspicion considering an internal hernia as a cause of small bowel obstruction in individuals of all age groups with or without a previous history of abdominal surgery.

Spontaneous perforation of Meckel's diverticulum: a case report and review of literature.

Meckel's diverticulum is the commonest congenital abnormality of the gastrointestinal tract. Hemorrhage, obstruction and inflammation are the three main categories of complications resulting from Meckel's diverticulum. Spontaneously perforation of Meckel's diverticulum is very rare and mimics acute appendicitis. We report a case of 26 year-old male, who presented since 5 days worsening abdominal pain predominantly in the right iliac fossa associated with high grade fever. On physical examination his abdomen was distended with guarding and rigidity. A provisional diagnosis of appendiculaire peritonitis was made. Our patient had an emergency laparotomy, where a perforated Meckel's diverticulum and advanced peritonitis were discovered. A diverticulectomy with ileostomy were performed. Heterotopic mucosa of diverticulitis was confirmed on histopathology. The patient made an uneventful recovery postoperatively and ileostomy reconstruction was done two months later. This case report is an interesting and unusual case of Meckel's diverticulum complications and highlights the importance of considering Meckel's diverticulum as a differential diagnosis in every patient presenting with acute abdomen.

Pleomorphous leiomyosarcoma of the mesocolon: a case report.

Leiomyosarcoma is a rare tumor of the smooth muscle, but relatively frequent in the stomach and the small intestine. The mesocolic site is rare. Globally, leiomyosarcoma represents less than 0, 1% of the malignant tumors found in the colon and the anus. Because of the similarities with other digestive tumors, namely mesenchymatous or benign tumors of the smooth muscle, the diagnosis of a pleomorphic sarcoma remains difficult even at the histological stage. Surgery is the mainstay of the therapy. We report a case of leiomyosarcoma of the mesocolon and discuss about its main characteristics in the view of the current literature about this pathological condition.

Total rupture of hydatid cyst of liver in to common bile duct: a case report.

Rupture of hydatid liver cyst into biliary tree is frequent complications that involve the common hepatic duct, lobar biliary branches, the small intrahepatic bile ducts,but rarely rupture into common bile duct. The rupture of hydatid cyst is serious life threating event. The authors are reporting a case of total rupture of hydatid cyst of liver into common bile duct. A 50-year-old male patient who presented with acute cholangitis was diagnosed as a case of totally rupture of hydatid cyst on Abdominal CT Scan. Rupture of hydatid cyst of liver into common bile duct and the gallbladder was confirmed on surgery. Treated by cholecystectomy and T-tube drainage of Common bile duct.