Research Article
Uduma, F. U., Okere, P.C.N. ,
Abstract
Cerebro –vascular accident (CVA) is the sudden onset of focal neurological deficit resulting from brain infarction/ischaemia or vessel injury. It is a common debilitating ailment seen in hypertensive and diabetics patients. Differentiation of CVA sub-types is the bedrock of corresponding management. The aim of this work is to audit the brain computed tomograms of cerebro-vascular accident patients in Douala, Cameroon. A prospective study of brain computed tomograms (CT) of concurrent patients with provisional diagnosis of CVA was done. Study duration was 11 June, 2009 to 3 December, 2009. Shumadzu CT scan machine with continuous rotational system was used. It was conducted in Polyclinic Bonanjo, Douala. A total of 41 patients comprising 68.29% (n=28) males and 31.71% (n=13) females in the age range of 1-89 years and mean age of 44.5 years were evaluated for CVA. The number of CVA cases was 13.05% of all brain CT done in same period. Highest incidence of CVA was 24.39% in the 60-69 age range. 30 cases (73.17%) had obvious features of CVA, shared into haemorrhagic CVA (26.67%) and ischaemic (73.33%). The commonest regional localizations were parietal and frontal cerebral lobes. Cerebral atrophy was 11 cases (26.83% of all clinical diagnosed CVA). Ischaemic CVA is more common than haemorrhagic. The middle cerebral arteries followed by anterior cerebral artery are the commonest vascular territories affected.