J G Hakim1, J Manyemba. 1. Department of Medicine, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the distribution of cardiac diseases seen in a tertiary referral hospital. DESIGN: Cross sectional survey. SETTING: Harare Central Hospital, Harare, Zimbabwe. SUBJECTS: 1,507 patients referred for echocardiographic evaluation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Cardiac diagnosis. RESULTS: 1,153 (76.5%) echocardiographic studies were abnormal, while 354 were normal. Rheumatic heart disease was the predominant diagnosis (25.1%) with 208 (74.3%) of cases being females. The main valvular lesion in females was mitral stenosis (48.1%), while in males it was mitral regurgitation (61.1%). Other diagnoses were: pericardial disease 250 (22.4%), dilated cardiomyopathy 245 (22.0%), hypertensive heart disease 148 (13.3%) and others (17.4%). There were 65 cases of peripartum cardiomyopathy among the cases of dilated cardiomyopathy and 34 cases of acute myocarditis among "others". CONCLUSION: A detailed clinical, radiological and echocardiographic assessment at the time of echocardiography enabled a credible diagnosis to be assigned to the majority of patients. Echocardiography is appropriate technology in this setting given the range of "echo-friendly" cardiac lesions found.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the distribution of cardiac diseases seen in a tertiary referral hospital. DESIGN: Cross sectional survey. SETTING: Harare Central Hospital, Harare, Zimbabwe. SUBJECTS: 1,507 patients referred for echocardiographic evaluation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Cardiac diagnosis. RESULTS: 1,153 (76.5%) echocardiographic studies were abnormal, while 354 were normal. Rheumatic heart disease was the predominant diagnosis (25.1%) with 208 (74.3%) of cases being females. The main valvular lesion in females was mitral stenosis (48.1%), while in males it was mitral regurgitation (61.1%). Other diagnoses were: pericardial disease 250 (22.4%), dilated cardiomyopathy 245 (22.0%), hypertensive heart disease 148 (13.3%) and others (17.4%). There were 65 cases of peripartum cardiomyopathy among the cases of dilated cardiomyopathy and 34 cases of acute myocarditis among "others". CONCLUSION: A detailed clinical, radiological and echocardiographic assessment at the time of echocardiography enabled a credible diagnosis to be assigned to the majority of patients. Echocardiography is appropriate technology in this setting given the range of "echo-friendly" cardiac lesions found.
Authors: Gasnat Shaboodien; Timothy F Spracklen; Stephen Kamuli; Polycarp Ndibangwi; Carla Van Niekerk; Ntobeko A B Ntusi Journal: Cardiovasc Diagn Ther Date: 2020-04