Pattern and clinical aspects of congenital heart diseases and their management in Cameroon

The aim of the study was to investigate the occurrence, pattern and clinical aspects of congenital heart diseases and their management in Cameroon. In this multicentred retrospective study from January 2006 till November 2009, out of 51,636 consulting in three referral centres, 505 were recruited. All the patients presented with the following symptoms: cyanosis, clubbing, frequent respiratory tract infections, failure to thrive, growth retardation, precordial murmur and dyspnoea. Patients were sent for the screening of congenital heart disease. After the comprehensive Doppler echocardiography, the recruited patients were diagnosed with congenital (67.2%) and in few, acquired heart disease. Heart murmur, dyspnoea and growth retardation was the triad mostly encountered. The occurrence of congenital heart diseases in Cameroon is 9.87%. In Douala, isolated ventricular septal defect, interatrial septal defect and isolated pulmonary valve stenosis were more diagnosed than in Shisong ( P