Introduction: The differentiation of digestive tumors very often requires the use of techniques currently not widely in use in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), such as immunohistochemistry. This is perfectly ve...Introduction: The differentiation of digestive tumors very often requires the use of techniques currently not widely in use in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), such as immunohistochemistry. This is perfectly verified for GISTs whose precise, or at least highly certain, diagnosis can only be made using immunohistochemical markers. This underuse of these techniques due to lack of equipment and human skills explains the limited epidemiological data available to date, thus leading to untargeted and too often late treatment of patients. Research question: What contribution can immunohistochemical markers make to the diagnosis of digestive tract tumours? Objective: Discuss the contribution of immunohistochemical markers in the diagnosis of GIST and provide basic data on the epidemiology of these nosological entities in Kinshasa. Methodology: This was a retrospective study carried out at the LEBOMA private anatomy and pathological cytology centre. The main inclusion criterion was any digestive tract block or slide whose diagnosis of GIST had been requalified after review by at least 2 pathologists. An immuhistochemical study was performed using an automated technique (with a Ventana XT machine) using a panel of antibodies: CD-117 and DOG-1 which are listed in the literature as strongly correlated with the occurrence of GIST, all slides were made at Hj Hospital using an OLYMPUS BX41 co-observation microscope. Results: Of 601 cases of digestive tumors recorded during the concerned period, 32 (5.32%) concerned GIST. This prevalence was confirmed by our immunohistochemical results where the expression of CD117 and that of DOG-1 were positive in 90.6% and 100% of cases which prevalence is high compared with the worldwide prevalence according to the literature, respectively. The distribution of the patients concerned was made with a sex ratio of 1.6 women/men with a median age of 53 years. Most cases (81%) had a gastric location and were fusiform GISTs. Conclusion: Gastrointestinal stromal tumours, although rare and underestimated, account for 5.32% of cases in the DRC. This is a considerable and high prevalence compared with the world average. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have been carried out on these aspects in the DRC, which explains the importance of this study. The results of this research demonstrated the contribution of these 2 markers as specific and effective biomarkers for optimal and differential diagnosis in GIST. In view of the above, it is therefore more than necessary to popularise the use of these biomarkers in order to contribute effectively to improving the overall management of gastrointestinal tumours by improving their identification.展开更多
Introduction: COVID-19, an emerging infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), typically presents with mild clinical manifestations in pediatric populations. As in many ...Introduction: COVID-19, an emerging infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), typically presents with mild clinical manifestations in pediatric populations. As in many other regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the COVID-19 pandemic affected children in Haut-Uélé, a province bordering South Sudan and Uganda. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological profile of COVID-19 in pediatric population in this area. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted over a 6-month period from August 1, 2021 to February 7, 2022. It included all patients aged 0 to 19 years with confirmed COVID-19 using RT-PCR and managed at the COVID-19 Treatment Centers (CTCO) in ISIRO and WATSA. Data were collected from patient records supplemented by the dataset from the service of Health Information System (SNIS) and the Epidemiological Surveillance Commission of the Provincial Health Division (DPS). Epidemiological and clinical profiles were analyzed. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software, Version 18. Results: During the 4th wave of the pandemic, 5 out of 13 health zones in Haut-Uélé province were affected, with a total of 569 recorded cases;45 of them were children aged 0 to 19 years (7.9%). Asymptomatic cases accounted for 33.3% (15 cases). The mean age was 9.88 ± 5.49 years, with the most affected age group being 10 - 14 years (44.45%). There was a predominance of males (73.3%), with a male-to-female sex ratio of 2.75. Half of the patients (53.3%) were from Watsa Health Zone. A seasonal peak was observed between December and January. Comorbidities were present in 10% of infected patients, and nearly half of participants were contacts of infected individuals. The primary reasons for admission were fever (66.66%), followed by rhinorrhea (57.77%) and cough (31.11%). All patients responded favorably to treatment. Conclusion: The proportion of pediatric COVID-19 cases at the CTCO centers in Haut-Uélé was low, with adolescent males being the most affected group. More than half of the cases were asymptomatic. The most common reasons for consultation were fever, rhinorrhea, and cough.展开更多
文摘Introduction: The differentiation of digestive tumors very often requires the use of techniques currently not widely in use in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), such as immunohistochemistry. This is perfectly verified for GISTs whose precise, or at least highly certain, diagnosis can only be made using immunohistochemical markers. This underuse of these techniques due to lack of equipment and human skills explains the limited epidemiological data available to date, thus leading to untargeted and too often late treatment of patients. Research question: What contribution can immunohistochemical markers make to the diagnosis of digestive tract tumours? Objective: Discuss the contribution of immunohistochemical markers in the diagnosis of GIST and provide basic data on the epidemiology of these nosological entities in Kinshasa. Methodology: This was a retrospective study carried out at the LEBOMA private anatomy and pathological cytology centre. The main inclusion criterion was any digestive tract block or slide whose diagnosis of GIST had been requalified after review by at least 2 pathologists. An immuhistochemical study was performed using an automated technique (with a Ventana XT machine) using a panel of antibodies: CD-117 and DOG-1 which are listed in the literature as strongly correlated with the occurrence of GIST, all slides were made at Hj Hospital using an OLYMPUS BX41 co-observation microscope. Results: Of 601 cases of digestive tumors recorded during the concerned period, 32 (5.32%) concerned GIST. This prevalence was confirmed by our immunohistochemical results where the expression of CD117 and that of DOG-1 were positive in 90.6% and 100% of cases which prevalence is high compared with the worldwide prevalence according to the literature, respectively. The distribution of the patients concerned was made with a sex ratio of 1.6 women/men with a median age of 53 years. Most cases (81%) had a gastric location and were fusiform GISTs. Conclusion: Gastrointestinal stromal tumours, although rare and underestimated, account for 5.32% of cases in the DRC. This is a considerable and high prevalence compared with the world average. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have been carried out on these aspects in the DRC, which explains the importance of this study. The results of this research demonstrated the contribution of these 2 markers as specific and effective biomarkers for optimal and differential diagnosis in GIST. In view of the above, it is therefore more than necessary to popularise the use of these biomarkers in order to contribute effectively to improving the overall management of gastrointestinal tumours by improving their identification.
文摘Introduction: COVID-19, an emerging infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), typically presents with mild clinical manifestations in pediatric populations. As in many other regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the COVID-19 pandemic affected children in Haut-Uélé, a province bordering South Sudan and Uganda. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological profile of COVID-19 in pediatric population in this area. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted over a 6-month period from August 1, 2021 to February 7, 2022. It included all patients aged 0 to 19 years with confirmed COVID-19 using RT-PCR and managed at the COVID-19 Treatment Centers (CTCO) in ISIRO and WATSA. Data were collected from patient records supplemented by the dataset from the service of Health Information System (SNIS) and the Epidemiological Surveillance Commission of the Provincial Health Division (DPS). Epidemiological and clinical profiles were analyzed. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software, Version 18. Results: During the 4th wave of the pandemic, 5 out of 13 health zones in Haut-Uélé province were affected, with a total of 569 recorded cases;45 of them were children aged 0 to 19 years (7.9%). Asymptomatic cases accounted for 33.3% (15 cases). The mean age was 9.88 ± 5.49 years, with the most affected age group being 10 - 14 years (44.45%). There was a predominance of males (73.3%), with a male-to-female sex ratio of 2.75. Half of the patients (53.3%) were from Watsa Health Zone. A seasonal peak was observed between December and January. Comorbidities were present in 10% of infected patients, and nearly half of participants were contacts of infected individuals. The primary reasons for admission were fever (66.66%), followed by rhinorrhea (57.77%) and cough (31.11%). All patients responded favorably to treatment. Conclusion: The proportion of pediatric COVID-19 cases at the CTCO centers in Haut-Uélé was low, with adolescent males being the most affected group. More than half of the cases were asymptomatic. The most common reasons for consultation were fever, rhinorrhea, and cough.
