Les Affections Pericardiques Chez le Noir Africain Dakar

Abstract

Out of 1606 African patients with cardiac disease admitted to Dantee Hospital in Dakar between January I960 and December 1969, sixty-two (3-8%) were found to have pericarditis. The aetiological factors which were similar to those encountered in France, included tuberculosis, pyogenic infections and uraemia. These accounted for 24-19, 19-3 and 27-4% respectively. Pyogenic pericarditis was more frequent in children (31-1%) than in adults (19*3%). Uraemic pericarditis was not encountered in children. Pericarditis of unknown aetiology is not uncommon, accounting for 25*8% and 16-2% in adults and children respectively. In adults, it was the second commonest cause after uraemic pericarditis. Rheumatic pericarditis was not encountered in adults but accounted for 44-2% in children. One case of malignant pericarditis presumably of mediastinal origin was encountered and one case of amoebic pericarditis was also encountered in an adolescent male subject.