Acquired Valvular Heart Diseases at CHU Point G

Introduction: Valvular heart diseases refer to all conditions affecting the heart valves, which are flexible structures that separate the four chambers of the heart and also separate the heart from the major vessels. Dysfunction of these valves can be due either to a defect in opening called stenosis or valvular. While it is true that valvular heart disease is not as frequent as coronary artery disease or hypertension, it remains or important clinical entity posing numerous management challenges. Objective: This study aimed to determine the hospital frequency of valvular heart diseases and to establish the clinical and paraclinical profile of these patients. Methods: This was a prospective study conducted over a three-year period, from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023, involving all patients admitted for acquired valvular heart disease. narrowing, or to a failure to close properly. Results: During the study period, out of 1,959 admissions to the department, 78 were for valvular heart disease, representing a hospital frequency of 3.98%. Women were the most affected, accounting for 70.5% of cases, with a male-to-female ratio of 0.4. The most represented age group was 20 to 40 years, with 46.2% of cases and an average age of 41.45 years ± 19.75 years, ranging from 12 to 92 years. The rural population was the majority, accounting for 62.8% of cases. A history of recurrent sore throat and polyarthralgia was found in 61.5% and 34.6% of patients, respectively. The main symptom was dyspnea, present in 93.6%. A global heart failure syndrome was observed in more than one in three patients, or 37.2%. In paraclinical tests, the measurement of anti streptolysin O (ASLO) performed in 35 patients was positive in only 11.43%; Cardiomegaly was present in more than half of the patients, specifically 59%, and atrial fibrillation was observed in 32% of patients; on cardiac Doppler echocardiography, valve thickening (94.8%) and valve retraction (21.8%) were visualized, resulting in mitral stenosis in 38 patients, or 48.72%, aortic insufficiency in 28 patients, or 35.90%, mitral insufficiency in 27 patients, or 34.61%, and aortic stenosis in 8 patients, or 10.25%. It was a multivalvular mitro-aortic involvement in 11.54%. Pure mitral stenosis (MS) was the dominant valvular lesion at 28.20%, followed by pure aortic insufficiency (AI) at 24.35%, pure mitral insufficiency (MI) at 12.82%, and pure aortic stenosis (AS) at 5.12%. The left atrium, right ventricle, and left ventricle were dilated in 42.3%, 43.6%, and 50% of cases,