Scan Features of Brain Damage during Trauma in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo: A Case Series Study

Background and aim: Brain trauma and various neurological disorders represent a significant cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. But data relating to this in sub-Saharan Africa is scarce. The aim of the study is to identify traumatic pathologies by CT scan in patients followed in hospitals in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Methods: descriptive cross-sectional study of data from the medical records of patients having performed a brain CT scan covering a period of 24 months at the University Clinics of Kinshasa and at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital. There are three types of study parameters, those relating to socio-demographic data (age, sex, date of the CT scan); those relating to the clinical data and the indications for the examination and the CT data. Results: 746 presented trauma assessment against 2433 patients for a non-traumatic indication. The mean age was 47.1 ± 20.9 years. There was a statistically significant and unequal distribution of the proportions of indications for brain scan according to age groups: the age group < 40 years coinciding exclusively in the traumatic assessment against non-traumatic indications for patients ≥ 60 years of age. Of the many traumatic injuries seen on a brain scan, bone fractures, intracranial hematomas and brain contusions were the most common injuries. Conclusion: traumatic lesions on CT are frequent in Kinshasa; they are characterized by the presence of bone fractures, intracranial hematomas and cerebral contusions.