Female infertility and laparoscopic surgery: A series of 415 operations at the Yaounde Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital, Cameroon

Objective: To describe the practice of laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of infertility at the Yaoundé Gyneco-Obstetrics and Pediatric Hospital. Materials and Methods: This was an observational study with retrolective data collection. All patients who underwent laparoscopy for infertility with a complete file were recruited. Data were collected on a pre-established form and analyzed with Microsoft Excel 2007 software. Results: Six hundred and thirty-three women, representing 6.9% of gynecologic operations, underwent laparoscopic surgery during the study period. Infertility accounted for 69.8% (442 cases) of the indications. Four hundred and fifteen files were analyzed. The commonest intraoperative findings were: tubo-peritoneal adhesions (71.6%), hydrosalpinx with distal tubal occlusion (41.5%), peri-hepatic adhesions (22.4%), uterine fibroids (20.2%) and tubal phimosis (14.0%). Adhesiolysis, neosalpingostomy and fimbrioplasty were the commonest surgical gestures. At the end of the procedure, the best tube was staged as favorable in 57.6% of our patients. A complication rate of 4.3% was observed. Conclusion: Infertility is the main indication for laparoscopic surgery in our setting. The main operative findings are tubo-peritoneal adhesions and hydrosalpinx. The most practiced tubal surgical gesture is neosalpingostomy. Half of the recruited women have a favorable stage for the best tube. The complication rate is low.

Clinical Study of Rape against Females at the YaoundéGyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital, Cameroun

Objective: To describe the clinical and therapeutic aspects of rape against females in a tertiary level hospital, Yaoundé, Cameroon. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with a retrolective collection of data, concerning the female patients with a clinical diagnosis of rape received from January 1st 2008 to December 31st 2012. Results: Rape was confirmed at physical examination in 131 cases. The rape victim survivals were mostly aged less than 20 years (85/131;64.9%), unmarried (127/131;97.0%), with no income (95/131;72.5%) and had no university education level (110/131;83.9%). The aggression commonly took place during the night (68/131;51.9%), at the victim’s or aggressor’s home (70/131;53.4%), with physical constraint (73/131;55.8%), by an unknown aggressor (88/131;67.2%). A vaginal penetration was reported by 97.0% of the victims (127/131) while 12.2% of them (16/122) had an anal ingress. Condom usage was uncommon during rape (3/131;2.3%). Vulvar and vaginal lesions were encountered in 32.8% of the cases (43/131). Only 27.5% (36/131) of the victims were prescribed an emergency contraception, while antiretroviral prophylaxis was administered to 46.6% (61/131) of them. Conclusion: These data might be useful for prevention of rape. The clinical management of survival victims of rape needs to be improved.

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer: A Case-Control Study of 315 Women Followed in the Gynecology and Oncology Departments of Two University Teaching Hospitals in Yaounde, Cameroon

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the first cause of cancer-related deaths among women in Cameroon. The aim of the study was to investigate its risk factors for breast cancer at two University Teaching Hospitals in Yaoundé. Methodology: A case-control study was conducted for 5 months, from February 25th to July 25th 2015, at the Gynecology unit of the Yaoundé Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital (YGOPH) and the Medical Oncology unit of the Yaoundé General Hospital (YGH). One hundred and five patients with breast cancer (cases) were compared to 210 women who did not have breast cancer (controls). SPSS Version 18.0.0 software was used to analyze the data with a statistical significance considered at P-value 50 years (P three times per week (P = 0.002;OR = 2.14;CI = [1.33 - 3.45]), palm oil consumption > two times per week (P = 0.001;OR = 2.38;CI = [1.4 - 4.1]). After multivariate analysis, age > 50 years (aOR = 41.48;CI = [2.46 - 69.9]) and consumption of red meat > three times per week [aOR = 7.33;(1.49 - 36)] were the risk factors considered significant for breast cancer. Conclusion: Age > 50 years and red meat consumption are independent risk factors for breast cancer at the Yaoundé General Hospital and at the Yaoundé Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital.

Maternal Mortality in Two Reference Hospitals in the City of Yaounde (Cameroon): Epidemiological, Clinical and Prognostic Aspects

Objectives: The objective of this work was to determine the epidemiological, clinical and prognostic aspects of maternal mortality (MM) in the city of Yaounde. Methods: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection of maternal deaths according to the World Health Organization (WHO) definition, from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019, in two tertiary centers of Yaounde: The Yaounde Gynaeco-Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital (YGOPH) and the Yaounde Central Hospital (YCH). Results: During the study period, 208 maternal deaths were identified, with 4/5 (78.4%) from referred cases. The MM ratio was 1532.8 per 100,000 live births (LB) vs. 609.5 per 100,000 live births at YCH and YGOPH respectively. The Main causes where haemorrhage (49%) followed by hypertensive diseases and their complications (21.2%), maternal mortality was associated with 50% of cases of foetal or neonatal deaths (57.4% in YCH vs 28.3% in YGOPH, P < 0.001). Health service systems were related to MM. Conclusion: Our study shows a large increase in maternal mortality ratios in YCH and YGOPH maternities since 2017. The main causes of MM found were haemorrhage followed by hypertensive diseases. These causes can be prevented. Our health systems should be improved if we want to significantly reduce the maternal mortality ratio.

Diagnostic Value of the Thoracic Ultrasonography Compared to Conventional Chest X-Rays in Pneumonia for Children between 0 to 15 Years: Case Study in Two Hospitals in Yaoundé

Introduction: The diagnosis of pneumonia is usually made based on clinical manifestations and chest X-ray. The use of ultrasound in detecting pulmonary diseases in general, and especially consolidation syndrome has been demonstrated. The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of thoracic ultrasound compared to chest X-ray in the diagnosis of infectious pneumonia in children. Methods: Children between 0 to 15 years were included in our study. The lung ultrasound results obtained were compared with those of the chest X-ray used as the reference. Our data were introduced into the EpiInfo 3.5.4 software and analyzed with the EpiInfo 3.5.4 and IBMSPSS Statistics version 20.0 softwares. Microsoft Office Excel 2016 was used to produce Charts. Continuous quantitative variables were presented. Cohen’s Kappa concordance test was applied with confidence interval of 95%. Results: 52 children were enrolled in the study. In imaging, the dominant sign was consolidation syndrome (75.0%) of cases by chest radiography, and in 78.8% of cases by lung ultrasound (p Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that lung echography is a non-ionizing and reliable tool in the diagnosis of childhood’s pneumonia.

Determinants of Early Survival of Breast Cancer Patients in Yaoundé-Cameroon

Introduction: Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. We carried out this study with the aim of evaluating the determinants of early survival of women with breast cancer in two hospitals in the city of Yaoundé. Methodology: This was an analytical cross-sectional study with retrospective and prospective data collection of breast cancer patients during 6 years in two Hospitals of Yaoundé from January 2017 to December 2022. We consulted the files in search of epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic and survival variables. We completed the survival data directly from the patients or their relatives after their consent. We analyzed the data using SPSS version 23.0 software. Survival analysis was done using the Kaplan-Meier method and survival curves were compared using the Log Rank test. Factors influencing survival were evaluated using the Cox model. The significance threshold (P value) was set at 0.05 at 95% confidence interval. The study was approved by the ethics committees. Results: We included 500 patients whose ages varied between 22 and 83 years with a mean age of 47.19 ± 11.61 years. The most represented age group was 30 to 45 years old (45.8%). Less than half (41.6%) were postmenopausal. The most frequent reason for consultation was a breast lump (79.9%). The most common clinical stage at presentation was stage-3 (47.6%). Infiltrating ductal carcinoma was the most represented histological type (84.7%). The most represented histological grade was grade 2 (40.2%). Immunohistochemistry was performed in 34.20% of cases. The most represented molecular subtype was triple negative (41.8%) followed by Luminal A (30%). Concerning treatment, 17.2% did not receive any, 45% had surgery, 79.4% had chemotherapy, 34.2% hormone therapy, and 14.6% radiotherapy. The survival of patients with breast cancer at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years was respectively 90.6%;83.1%;74.2%;69.8% and 59.2%. The median survival was not reached;however, the first quartile (Q1) was 36 months (3 years). Independent factors associated with reduced survival were breast ulceration (aHR = 3.23;p = 0.002), bilateral tumor location (aHR = 9.2;p < 0.001) and clinical stage 3 (aHR = 1.72;p = 0.010) while patients classified ACR3 on imaging (aHR = 0.19;p = 0.005) had improved survival. Conclusion: Breast cancer survival from 1 to 5 years decrease from 90 to 59%. Mortality was highest in the first 40 months. Independent factors associated with reduced survival were breast ulceration, bilateral tumor location and clinical stage 3 while patients classified ACR3 on imaging had improved survival.

Epidemiologic Profile of Maternal Deaths in Two Referral Hospitals in Cameroon

Introduction: Our objective was to compare the epidemiologic profile of maternal mortality in two structures serving as referral levels of care in Cameroon. Methodology: This cross-sectional, comparative study took place at the maternities of the Yaoundé Central Hospital (YCH) and the Bamenda Regional Hospital (BRH) from December 1st 2014 to May 31st 2015, a 6 months’ period. The medical records of deceased women over 5 years, from January 2010 to December 2014, were collected. We calculated the MMR (Maternal mortality rate) and studied the causes and risk factors associated with maternal death. The Epi info software 3.5.4 was used to analyze data with a significance level of P < 0.05. Results: The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) was 964 and 247 per 100,000 live births for YCH and BRH, respectively. More deaths occurred within the aged group range 20 to 34 years, 76.8% at YCH and 64.7% at BRH. At YCH, 70.7% of these patients were referrals versus 32.4% at BRH. Complication from abortion was often implicated at BRH (P = 0.007;OR = 0.31;CI = 0.13 - 0.74). Others causes were hemorrhage (YCH = 43.4%;BRH = 35.5%), hypertensive diseases (YCH = 17.2%;BRH = 14.7%) and infections (YCH = 8.1%;BRH = 17.6%). At YCH time elapsed from admission to death was <3 h (P = 0.005;OR = 6.63;CI = 1.49 - 29.5). Conclusion: Both hospitals have similar causes of maternal deaths, differing only in the context within which the deaths occurred. Improving access to good quality health care, satisfying unmet needs for family planning, availability of blood products and the establishment of health insurance could decrease the maternal mortality rate.

Birth Injuries in Neonates at a University Teaching Hospital in Cameroon: Epidemiological, Clinical and Therapeutic Aspects

Background: Statistics on birth injuries in Cameroon are scarce, despite its frequency in postnatal consultations;we sort to find its prevalence and contributing factors, the different clinical presentations and treatment methods. Methodology: This was a retrospective, descriptive study. Data on maternal characteristics, neonatal factors, the place of birth and qualification of birth attendant, age at diagnosis, clinical presentation and management were considered. Results: Among the 14,284 newborns that were consulted from January 2003 to February 2014, 263 (1.84%) had birth injuries. The average age at diagnosis was 12 days. The contributing factors were: advanced maternal age, macrosomia, vaginal and instrumental delivery. Birth attendants were mostly nurses and the health center was the place of birth for 57.4% of patients. The main clinical presentations were: obstetric brachial plexus palsy (70.6%), fracture of the clavicle (22.5%) and fracture of the humerus (4.80%). Physiotherapy and orthopedic treatment were methods used with favorable outcome. Conclusion: The frequency of birth injury is relatively high in our context. The diagnosis is late, birth attendants need to be trained and systematic examination of all newborns in delivery room encouraged.

Materno-Foetal Morbidity in the Second Stage of Labour: A Cohort Study in Primiparous Women in Yaounde

Introduction: Prolonged Second Stage of Labor (SSL) is known to increase maternal and foetal morbidity. We, therefore, aimed to assess for the occurrence of complications of the SSL in relation to its duration in primiparous women in Yaounde. Methods: It was a cohort study carried out at the Yaounde Gynaeco-Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital over a period of 6 months, from December 19, 2018 through May 3, 2019. We included for the study nulliparous pregnant women with singleton pregnancies and normal uteri. Data collected were analysed using EPI info 7 and SPSS version 2.0 software. Results: Amongst 327 nulliparas, the SSL lasted more than one hour in 120 (36.7%), and more than two hours in 42 (12.8%). The most common maternal complications observed were genital lacerations (23.6%;28/120), instrumental deliveries (20.2%, 24/120), post-partum haemorrhage (8.9%). Foetal complications included caput succedaneum (15.2%;18/120) and perinatal asphyxia (7.5%;9/120). Maternal complications were significantly increased in women with an SSL lasting 1 - 2 hours (44.9% versus 22.7%;p < 0.001) and >2 hours (42.9% versus 22.7%;p = 0.007). Similarly, for foetal complications 23.1% occurred with SSLs between 1 - 2 hours (versus 6.3%;p < 0.001) and 19.0% for SSLs > 2 hours (versus 6.3%;p = 0.007). Conclusion: Maternal and foetal complications increase when the SSL exceeds 1 hour in primiparas. Identifying factors that predispose to a prolonged SSL and indicating appropriate interventions could help prevent morbidity.

Central Corneal Thickness of Diabetic Patients in Yaoundé: Case Control Study

Background: To compare central corneal thickness (CCT) values measured in diabetic eyes and compare the CCT values in normal patients without diabetes. Methods: A total of 83 diabetic patients and 83 non-diabetic patients were prospectively enrolled in this comparative case series. CCT was measured using a Topcon CT-1P non-contact automated pachymeter, and values were compared. Results: Mean age was 57 ± 11 years, with a range of 23 and 80 years. The mean CCT was 508.87 ± 35.83 μm for diabetic patients and 513.41 ± 37.22 μm for non-diabetic patients. There was no statistically significant difference between the CCT of diabetic patients compared to non-diabetic patients (p = 0.260). We did not find a significant correlation between the CCT of diabetic patients and clinical characteristics of diabetes. However, there was a positive and statistically significant linear correlation between the CCT of diabetic patients and intra ocular pressure (IOP). Conclusion: The mean CCT in diabetic patients was lower than in non-diabetic control patients, although there was no statistically significant difference.

Histopathological and Ultrasound Correlation in Women Presenting with Breast Lumps in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Context: Breast cancer is very deadly among women with higher rates in the developing world. Imaging tools such as ultrasound, can be used to differentiate between the types of breast lumps. This study aimed to determine the value of ultrasound as a first-line examination in the diagnosis of breast masses. Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of women presenting with breast lumps from November 2022 to June 2023 at the Yaounde General Hospital, which lasted seven months, from November 2022 to June 2023. The sampling was exhaustive and consecutive. Association between variables was studied using the x2 test and concordance between ultrasound and histopathological findings was assessed using the Kappa correlation coefficient. Results: 234 women were included in the study. Their mean age was 46.3 ± 11.4 years. Overall, 15 (6.4%) lumps were benign while 219 (93.6%) were malignant. Triple negative (5.6%) was the most recurrent genomic classification. The correlation between the ultrasound and histopathological findings was significant, with an observed concordance rate at 85.1%, kappa = 0.322 and a p-value Conclusion: The performance of ultrasound in differentiating benign and malignant lesion was high. However, the discordant cases highlight the need for a diagnosis system which blends histopathological and radiological findings for an improved management of patients with breast lumps.

Pregnancy on Bicornuate Unicollis Uterus: Diagnosis, Management and Prognosis in Underprivileged Areas: About a Case, Yaoundé-Cameroon

Background: A bicornuate uterus is a relatively common and often asymptomatic congenital uterine malformation. Objective: The aim of this work is to highlight the diagnostic difficulty in this case, as well as its therapeutic and prognostic aspects. We report here the case of a young girl carrying a pregnancy on an undiagnosed unicollis bicornuate uterus, which was initially diagnosed as an unruptured ectopic pregnancy. Conclusion: The bicornuate uterus still poses diagnostic difficulties, especially in disadvantaged populations due to the poor accessibility of diagnostic means.

Risk factors of intrapartal fetal death in a low-resource setting

Objective: To identify the risk factors of intrapartal fetal death in a tertiary hospital in Yaoundé. Methods: It was a case-control study comparing 53 women who delivered with intrapartal fetal death to 106 women who delivered without intrapartal fetal death, carried out at the Yaoundé Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital, Cameroon. Results: The risk factors of intrapartal fetal death identified at bivariate analysis were: maternal age <20 years (OR = 3.1;CI = 1.1 - 8.3), absence of regular income (OR = 2.4;CI = 1.2 - 4.7), single motherhood (OR = 2.9;CI = 1.5 - 5.7), illiteracy and primary level of education (OR = 4.7;CI = 1.9 - 11.5), referral (OR = 5.0;CI = 2.5 - 9.9), parity 0 and 1 (OR = 2.3;CI = 1.1 - 4.5), no antenatal care (OR = 9.2;CI = 2.4 - 35.6), number of antenatal visits <4 (OR = 4.2;CI = 2.1 - 8.6), antenatal care in a health center (OR = 3.8;CI = 1.9 - 7.5), antenatal care by a midwife (OR = 2.5;CI = 1.3 - 4.9) or a nurse (OR = 5.2;CI = 1.4 - 18.7), absence of malaria prophylaxis (OR = 10.6;CI = 2.9 - 39.5), absence of obstetrical ultrasound (OR = 4.7;CI = 1.9 - 10.9), prematurity (OR = 3.4;CI = 1.5 - 7.3), abnormal presentation (OR = 2.6;CI = 1.1 - 5.9), ruptured membranes at admission (OR = 2.7;CI = 1.3 - 5.4), ruptured membranes >12 hours at admission (OR = 5.1;CI = 2.5 - 10.3), stained amniotic fluid (OR = 4.8;CI = 2.4 - 9.7), labor lasting more than 12 hours (OR = 18.1;CI = 8.0 - 41.0), presence of maternal complications (OR = 4.7;CI = 2.2 - 10.3), and presence of fetal complications (OR = 48.6;CI = 18.3 - 129), particularly acute fetal distress (OR = 52.3;CI = (14.6 - 186), cord prolapse (OR = 12.1;CI = 3.3 - 43.4), and birth weight <2500 g (OR = 2.8;CI = 1.2 - 6.6). Conclusion: Close attention should be offered to pregnant women, so as to identify these risk factors and promptly provide an appropriate management.

Utility, Appropriateness of Request and Report of Computed Tomography Scan for the Diagnosis of Paranasal Sinuses Pathologies in a Sub-Saharan Africa Urban Setting

Background: Computed tomography (CT) Scan is the imaging of choice for the diagnosis of sino nasal (SN) pathologies in sub-Saharan African setting. However, it is often requested by non experienced practitioners. We aimed to describe the utility and the appropriateness of CT Scan request forms and results in the diagnosis of SN pathologies. Method: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study in four health facilities in Yaoundé, Cameroun, from October 2018 to September 2019. All patients to whom SN CT Scan was performed were called for an appointment. After informed consent, data on the appropriateness and conformity of the request form were collected and compared to the guidelines of the French society of radiology. CT Scan results were also collected and the quality of the report was evaluated. Results: A total of 206 SN CT Scan request forms and reports were included, with a mean patient age of 37.7 ± 16.1 years. The request form was conformed to guidelines in 8.3% of cases and was found appropriate in 62.6% of cases. No CT Scan report had all the items required, and 159 (77.2%) reports were useful. The most common diagnosis in patients with abnormal results was chronic sinusitis (49.5%) and SN polyp or polyposis (19.4%). Conclusion: Most of SN CT Scan requested were appropriate and useful. However, the conformity of request forms and reports to the guidelines is low. Suggesting the need for capacity building for the diagnosis of SN pathologies especially for non specialists like general practitioners and nurses.

Risk factors of clinical birth asphyxia and subsequent newborn death following nuchal cord in a low-resource setting

Introduction: Our aim was to identify the risk factors of clinical birth asphyxia and subsequent newborn death in the presence of nuchal cord in a sub-Saharan Africa setting. Methodology: It was a six-months’ case-control study involving 117 parturients whose babies presented with a nuchal cord at delivery. The study was carried out at the Yaoundé Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital, Cameroon, from January 1st to June 30th 2013. Results: The risk factors of clinical birth asphyxia identified were: first delivery, absence of obstetrical ultrasound during pregnancy, nuchal cord with more than one loop, duration of second stage of labor more than 30 minutes during vaginal delivery. The risk factors for newborn death from clinical birth asphyxia in the presence of nuchal cord were: maternal age Conclusion: We recommend a systematic obstetrical ultrasound before labor, so as to detect the presence of a nuchal cord, its tightness and the number of loops. Also, cesarean section should be considered when a nuchal cord is associated with first delivery, tightness or multiple looping.

Adolescent Sexual Behavior in an Urban Area of a Resource-Limited African Country, Cameroon

Introduction: The substantial changes that occur in adolescence may lead to sexual behaviors that adversely affect their health. We have described sexual patterns in adolescents in various neighborhoods of Yaounde in order to underscore the sexual challenges that they face. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional descriptive study in District number V of Yaounde from August 1st to 31st 2018. To characterize their sexual lives, we surveyed 1800 adolescents between 10 and 19, and analyzed the data using SPSS version 25.0. Results: In our study, 1023 (56.8%) adolescents were female, and 777 (43.2%) were male. Most of the adolescents were between ages 18 and 19 years (25.4%), unmarried (93.1%), had a secondary level of education (81.9%) and lived with their families (87.3%). One-third of the adolescents (30.7%) were sexually active and 41.1% had multiple sexual partners. The average age of coitarche was 15.1 years. Among the females, 17.1% reported one prior pregnancy and 30.8% had one abortion. Most of the sexual encounters were heterosexual (82.6%) and 30.2% regularly used male condoms. 66.0% and 47.7% obtained information about sexuality primarily from social media and mass media, respectively. Conclusion: Sexual encounters in adolescents of District V of Yaounde were premature, mostly heterosexual and often unprotected. The consequences were an increased incidence of early pregnancies and abortions.

Histopathological Aspects of Placental Lesions in Mild and Severe Pre-Eclampsia in a Population of Cameroonian Women

Background: Pre-eclampsia (PE) frequently leads to adverse maternal and foetal outcomes in our setting. The pathophysiology is strongly linked to placental development. We aimed to study placental lesions associated with PE in a population of Cameroonian women. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, analytical study in three university teaching hospitals in Yaounde namely, the Yaounde Central Hospital, the pathology laboratory of the Yaounde University Hospital Centre, and the Yaounde Gynaeco-Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital. The study spanned 8 months from January 1st to September 1st, 2021. Placental analysis was carried out as per standard protocol. The study included 101 parturients with pre-eclampsia. These were divided into two groups, with groups 1 and 2 being made of patients with mild pre-eclampsia (n = 40), and severe pre-eclampsia (n = 61), respectively. Results: The mean ages of the two groups were 29.93 ± 7.36 versus 28.28 ± 7.18 (p = 0.267) for patients with mild and severe pre-eclampsia respectively. Low socioeconomic status was the most frequently identified risk factor in both groups (59%). Patients’ history revealed that the women with severe pre-eclampsia tended to have poor pregnancy follow-up compared to those with mild pre-eclampsia (p < 0.05). Also, the placentas of patients with severe pre-eclampsia weighed significantly less than those of patients with mild pre-eclampsia (454.4 ± 122 vs. 511.7 ± 125;p < 0.05). Pre-eclampsia-related lesions were significantly greater in patients with severe disease (p Conclusion: PE-related placental lesions in our context are multiple and diverse especially in severe disease, and these arise as a result of defective maternal vascular perfusion.

Correlation between the International Prostate Symptom Score, Ultrasound Features and Maximum Flow Rate in Cameroonian Patients with Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy

Background: Benign prostatic hypertrophy is the non-malignant stromal and epithelial proliferation of the prostate gland, with or without associated anatomical enlargement of the gland and clinical symptoms. Symptomatic Benign prostatic hypertrophy may cause obstructive symptoms, irritative symptoms or both obstructive symptoms include a sensation of incomplete bladder emptying, straining to void, urinary hesitancy and weak stream while irritative symptoms include dysuria, nocturia, urinary frequency and urinary urgency. A quantitative measure of the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hypertrophy can be obtained using the International Prostate Symptoms Score. Ultrasonography is useful for helping to determine bladder and prostate size in patients with urinary lower urinary tract symptoms. Uroflowmetry is a non-invasive test that assesses voiding function. It provides valuable data on the voided volume, time is taken to reach maximum flow rate and average flow rate. The goal of this study was to improve the follow up of patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy by providing simple, available, affordable and non-invasive that best predict bladder outlet obstruction and the quality of life in these patients. Method: This was a cross-sectional analytic study carried out over a period of five months from May 2020 to September 2020 at the Yaounde Gynaeco-Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital, which is a tertiary hospital in Cameroon. Were included in the study, adult males who presented with lower urinary tract symptoms and prostatic enlargement suggestive of benign prostatic hypertrophy taking into account clinical, uroflowmetry and ultrasound findings. Results: A study population of 103 participants was recruited. The mean age of patients was 63.17 ± 10.26 years. Concerning the International Prostate Symptoms Score, the mean total, voiding (obstructive) and storage (irritative) scores were 14.6 ± 6.2, 8.5 ± 4.1 and 6.05 ± 2.7 respectively. The mean maximum flow rate was 13.44 ± 3.88 mL/s. The mean prostate volume was 53.71 ± 16.46 ml. A majority of patients have an enlarged prostate 1.5 to 2 times (46 to 60 mL) the upper limit for normal value. The intravesical prostatic protrusion was present in eighty-three (80.58%) and absent in 20 (19.42%). Above a prostate volume of 60 mL, 91% to 100% of our patients had intravesical prostatic protrusion. There was strong evidence (p < 0.001) that a change from no intravesical prostatic protrusion to intravesical prostatic protrusion grade 1 increased the chances of having a low maximum flow rate with a crude odds ratio of 7.98. The adjusted odds ratio after multivariate analysis was 5.26 and this remained statistically significant (p = 0.03). Conclusion: the measure of intravesical prostatic protrusion is superior to the prostate volume in the assessment of maximum flow rate and thus the follow up of patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy. This measure which is non-invasive, easy to measure, easily accessible, and cost effective may be a useful tool in predicting voiding dysfunction and acute urinary retention.