[Epidemiologic and therapeutic features of urogenital fistulae in Guinea (Conakry)]

The authors analyse the epidemiological and therapeutic aspects of 186 cases of urogenital fistulas and attempt to define a preventive approach to these lesions.

From January 1986 to December 31, 1993, 186 patients were admitted to the urology department of Ignace Deen hospital for urogenital fistulas. Each patient was submitted to the following assessment: complete clinical examination, laboratory examination, endoscopic examination, radiological examination. A therapeutic classification was established on the basis of this assessment: Group 1: complex fistulas. Group 2: difficult fistulas. Group 3: simple fistulas.

Urogenital fistulas were predominantly observed in young primiparous women living in rural zones and the principal cause was a dystocic delivery: 179 cases (96.23%), while only 7 cases (3.7%) were due to gynaecological lesions. 246 primary and secondary repair operations were performed, corresponding to an average of 1.3 operations per patient. Cure was obtained in 131 patients (70.43%) including 37.63%) in Group 1, 8.61% in Group 2 and 21.19% in Group 3. In three cases of partial success, the fistulas were closed; two patients have persistent dysuria with reduced bladder capacity and one patient suffers from dyspareunia with impossibility of coital penetration. Finally, the 49 failures (26.34%) concerned 34 type 1 fistulas; 5 type 2 fistulas and 10 type 3 fistulas.

In the light of our eight-year experience, urogenital fistula still appears to be a real problem in Guinea, where it represents a public health problem for which surgical cure still raises technical difficulties. In the fight for eradication of urogenital fistula in developing countries, emphasis must be placed on prevention with a just and equitable distribution of health care personnel in rural zones which are often underprivileged: constant improvement of the road network to allow rapid transfer of cases of foetomaternal dystocia to a reference centre; improvement of health structures; urological and obstetric surveillance of any woman operated for urogenital fistula.