Connective tissue diseases in hospital practice in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

Objective: To describe the semiological and immunological features of connective tissue diseases seen at the Yalgado Ouedraogo University Hospital in Ouagadougou. Patients and methods: A retrospective study reviewed the records of patients seen in the hospital dermatology and internal medicine departments from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2009 and diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (ScS), dermatopolymyositis (DPM), primary Gougerot-Sjogren disease (GS), polymyositis (PM) or indeterminate connective tissue disease (ICTD) meeting the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology. Results: The study included 42 patients, 36 women and 6 men. Their mean age was 41.2 years +/- 11.97 (range: 15-75). SLE was the diagnosis for 10 patients, ScS for 14, DPM for 7, primary GS for 1, PM for 1, and ICTD for 9. Hematologic (93%), cutaneous (88%), and rheumatologic (81%) abnormalities were the most frequent manifestations. The specific auto-antibodies associated with SLE patients were: anti-native DNA (3/6), anti-Sm (3/6), anti-RNP (3/6), and anti-SSA (4/6); anti-Scl 70 antibodies were present in 5 patients with ScS. Conclusion: Connective tissue diseases seem to be rare in Africa, south of the Sahara. However, the very fragmentary studies and the weak healthcare coverage do not allow any definitive conclusions.