Evaluation of Clinical and Radiological Tumour Response during Neo-Adjuvant Breast Cancer Chemotherapy at Yalgado Ouedraogo University Hospital

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is one of the treatment options for breast cancer. Its aim is to significantly reduce the size of the tumour in preparation for surgery. The aim of this work is to analyze the conditions of clinical and radiological evaluation of NAC at the Yalgado Ouédraogo University Hospital (CHUYO). Patients and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study based on the medical records of patients followed up in the cancer department of the CHUYO from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2021. All patients followed for histologically proven, non-metastatic breast cancer and having received at least one course of NAC were included in this study. The variables were related to the socio-demographic characteristics of the patients, the indications, the protocols of NAC and the sequences of evaluation of the tumour response (clinical, radiological and anatomopathological). Results: We collected 105 cases. The average age of the patients concerned was 44 years. The most frequent histological type was non-specific invasive carcinoma in 97.1% of cases. Immunohistochemically, triple-negative patients accounted for 51.4%. At the initial stage, all patients underwent clinical exploration. Clinical measurement of the tumour was performed in 70.5% of cases. The radiological size of the tumour was determined by ultrasound in 59.1% of cases. One patient had a breast MRI. Thirty-one patients were lost to follow-up after the initial evaluation. At mid-term and at the end of treatment, clinical tumour size was performed in 38.6% and 45.6% of cases respectively. There was no breast imaging performed at mid- and end-of-treatment. CT scans were performed in all cases at baseline, mid-term and end of treatment for extension assessment but did not mention the breast tumour. The tumour response rate was not recorded. Conclusion: Clinical assessment of tumour response is almost always empirical and not quantified. Medical imaging examinations are prescribed sparingly so as not to compromise the regularity of treatment and patient assessment.

CT Aspects of Psychomotor Delays in Children Aged 0 to 5 Years at Bogodogo University Hospital (Ouagadougou)

Background: Psychomotor delays in children are mainly investigated by CT imaging, due to the low availability and accessibility of magnetic resonance imaging in our context. Our aim was to study the CT aspects of psychomotor retardation (PMR) in children under 5 years of age at the University Hospital of Ouagadougou. Materials and Methods: Descriptive study with retrospective collection carried out over a period of twelve months (from September 2020 to August 2021). Our study focused on the reports of cranioencephalic CT scans performed on children aged 0 to 5 years, in whom a clinical diagnosis of psychomotor retardation had been made. Variables studied included socio-demographic data, clinical data, technique of CT examination, description of lesions and normality or not of the conclusion. Results: Cranioencephalic CT in children aged 0 - 5 years represented 9.78% of all CT scans performed in this age group. The sex ratio was 1.39. The mean age of the subjects in these reports was 18.31 ± 13.97 months and the modal class was [13 - 24] months. The CT scan was considered pathological in 85.10% of cases (n = 57). The most frequently noted encephalic anomalies were cerebral atrophy isolated in 54.4% of the cases (n = 31) or associated with other lesions in 30.1% of the cases (n = 17). Hydrocephalus was noted in 19.5% of the cases (n = 11). Conclusion: The lesions were mostly sequelae of cerebral ischaemia or cerebromeningeal infections. There were few cerebral malformations. There was no tumour etiology noted.

Evaluation of CT Scans Reports in Pancreatic Tumors at Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

Background: There are no recommendations for the use of standardised CT reports in oncology in our country. The aim of this study was to evaluate CT reports of pancreatic tumors in the city of Ouagadougou. Materials and Methods: Descriptive, multicenter, cross-sectional study conducted from 1st January 2013 to 31 December 2021. It concerned CT scan reports from five public and private imaging centers in the city of Ouagadougou. During the study period, 41 reports of pancreatic tumors were collected. We evaluated the reports using the standardized model developed by the Society of Abdominal Radiology and the American Pancreatic Association as a reference. Results: CT scan reports were not standardised. The writing style was free. Concerning the lesion, the aspect of the tumor at the pancreatic time was the item with the least information (24.4%). The status of the superior mesenteric artery was mentioned in 17%, the celiac trunk and the portal trunk in 12.2% of cases and 9.7% for the superior mesenteric vein. No report noted the appearance of the common hepatic artery. The status of the lymph nodes, liver and peritoneal cavity was mentioned in all reports. The exact location of the lymph nodes was not specified. The analysis of the reports classified them into two groups: potentially resectable tumours in the absence of secondary locations in 31.7% of cases and locally advanced tumours or presence of metastases in 68.3% of cases. Conclusion: The CT reports were not standardized. The items allowing evaluating the loco-regional extension of the tumor were the least specified. This may suggest the high rate of potentially resectable tumours in our study.