[Systemic vasculitis: study of 27 cases in Senegal]

Studies on vasculitis in black Africa are rare. The purpose of this report is to describe a retrospective study of systemic vasculitis managed in the internal medicine, ORL and cardiolology departments of the Aristide le Dantec University Hospital in Dakar, Senegal from 1995 to 2007. A series of 27 cases involving 7 men and 20 women with a mean age of 49 years was compiled. Primary vasculitis included Horton disease in 3 cases, Wegener disease in 2, Takayasu disease in 1, and Buerger disease in 1. Secondary vasculitis included mixed cryoglobulinemia with Gougerot Sjögren syndrome in 7 cases, primary Goujeröt syndrome in 4, rheumatoid arthritis in 3, nodosa periarteritis with hepatitis B in 2, SHARP syndrome in 1, and polymyositis in 1. The remaining two cases involved abdominal periaortitis including one associated with retrosperitoneal fibrosis and tuberculosis and the other with spondylarthropathy. Corticotherapy in combination with anticoagulants, immunosuppressive therapy, and surgery, when necessary, allowed effective management in 24 cases. The findings of this study show that systemic vasculitis can have numerous etiologies and indicate that secondary forms are the most common. Appropriate care modalities are needed to prevent severe outcome in Senegalese hospitals.