Clinical and Therapeutic Aspects of Migraine in Brazzaville

Introduction: Migraine is the most common primary headache, and can cause significant disability. There are two types, migraine without aura and migraine with aura. The diagnosis of migraine is essentially clinical. Worldwide prevalence was estimated at 11.6% in 2009. In Africa, it is estimated at 10.4%. Objective: To describe the clinical and therapeutic aspects of migraine in Brazzaville. Patients and Methods: This was a door-to-door cross-sectional study conducted from 1st May to 1 st July 2018 in the city of Brazzaville. Subjects over 18 with clearly expressed consent were included. The questionnaire covered demographic characteristics, diagnostic criteria for migraine according to the IHS, treatments taken. The degree of disability was determined using the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0 for MAC. Results: Of the 1017 subjects interviewed in this study, 115 (39.9%) had migraine, including 73 women (63.47%) and 42 men (36.52%). In the group of migraine sufferers, the number of cases of definite migraine was 61 (53.04%) and that of probable migraine 54 (46.95%). For 81 migraine sufferers (70.43%), stress was the triggering factor. The frequency of attacks was weekly and monthly for 30 (26.1%) and 19 (16.5%) sufferers respectively. The location of the migraine was unilateral in 38% of cases and tilted in 24.3%. The intensity of the attack was described as moderate and severe in 41.7% and 57.4% of subjects respectively. Phonophobia/photophobia accompanied the migraine in 65.2% of cases. One hundred and eight subjects were treated. Of these, 106 (98.1%) were on medication. Eleven (10.37%) had received a medical prescription, and ninety-seven (89.8%) were self-medicating. Five and three subjects were under the care of a general practitioner and a neurologist respectively. Conclusion: Migraine is a frequent pathology in Brazzaville. Its preponderance among young people and women calls for the implementation of effective prevention strategies for these already vulnerable social groups. The form without aura was the most common type. Visual aura was the most common type. Headache-related symptoms were dominated by phonophotophobia, followed by nausea and vomiting. Almost all migraine sufferers were self-medicating, and very few were under the care of a doctor. First-line analgesics and NSAIDs were the mainstay of treatment.

Mortality from Stroke in Young People in Brazzaville

Introduction: Cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) are an absolute neurovascular emergency and the main cause of mortality and acquired disability in adults. In the Congo, stroke is the leading cause of mortality and the leading cardiovascular emergency, with a hospital frequency of between 49.74% and 56.2%. The aim of the study was to identify the mortality factors associated with stroke in young people in Brazzaville. Patients and Methods: This is a longitudinal analytical study conducted from February to period from February to September 2019 in the neurology, general intensive care and medical emergency departments of the Brazzaville University Hospital (CHUB). All subjects aged 18 - 55 years of completed age, admitted for arterial stroke confirmed by brain imaging, were included. Study variables were: age, gender, socioeconomic level, laterality, time to admission and CT scan, vascular risk factors, history of cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, TIA (transient ischemic attack) or stroke, NIHSS (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) score, Glasgow score, blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, occurrence or non-occurrence of complications, blood glucose, creatinine, lipid profile and blood count. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21 software. Descriptive analyses were performed using SPSS 21 software. Results: 103 patients were included in the study, of whom 45 (43.7%) had ischemic stroke and 58 (56.3%) with hemorrhagic stroke. Mortality was high at 29.1% in our study, and mainly concerned hemorrhagic strokes (73.7%). Two-week mortality in our study accounted for 63.33% of total lethality. After simple logistic regression, the factors associated with death within two weeks were age between 40 - 44 years (OR (odds ratio) = 2.95;p = 0.01), hemorrhagic stroke (OR = 1.41;p = 0.07), mass effect (OR = 3.26;p < 0.01), ventricular flooding (OR = 2.86;p < 0.001), Glasgow score (OR = 2.95 (0.92 - 9.43);p = 0.06), NIHSS score on admission > 15 (OR = 5.89 (2.90 - 11.95);p < 0.001) and bronchopulmonary infection (OR = 30, 95 (4.04 - 236.88), p < 0.001). From multivariate logistic regression, only NIHSS score on admission > 15 emerged as a predictor of death within two weeks (OR = 5.89 (2.90 - 11.95);p Conclusion: This study confirms the basic data of the African literature concerning stroke, as several factors were identified as independent factors associated with mortality.