Practice of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the “Hôpital SpécialiséMère-Enfant Blanche Gomes” in the Republic of the Congo

Introduction: Pediatric Neurosurgery is a growing specialty in its own right worldwide. Its practice in sub-Saharan Africa remains confronted with many challenges, notably the absence of a pediatric neurosurgeon, the lack of a dedicated service and the absence of multidisciplinary pediatric collaboration (neuroanesthesist, neurologist, oncologist and psychotherapist). The objective of this preliminary study is to describe the practice of pediatric neurosurgery at the HSMEBG and to present perspectives for its improvement. Methods: This is a retrospective, monocentric, descriptive study covering the period from March 2021 to March 2022 at the Pediatric Surgery Department of the HSMEBG. Résults: During the study period, 50 children were hospitalized for a neurosurgical condition. The sex ratio was 1.77. The average age was 6 years with extremes of 2 weeks and 16 years. Most children were from the emergency department (46%). Computed tomography (CT) was performed in 35 patients (70%), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 4% and plain radiography in two patients (8%). Malformative, traumatic (cranial and spinal) and tumor pathology were the most frequent with 42%, 36% and 12% respectively. Twenty-six patients were operated (52%). We recorded one postoperative infection (2.5%). The overall mortality was 8% (N = 4). Conclusion: This preliminary study allowed us to identify the epidemiological and clinical profile of the patients treated in our context as well as the therapeutic approach. Malformative pathology remains the most frequent, followed by traumatic and tumor pathology. The development of the practice of this discipline remains a challenge in our working conditions and requires the training of pediatric neurosurgeons and dedicated paramedical staff.