Journal of Clinical & Experimental Dermatology Research
Open Access

Abstract

Scleroderma in a Black African Subject: A Study of 217 Cases in Cote d Ivoire

BR Aka, A. Diabaté, M. Kaloga, HS Kourouma, B. Vagamon and I. Gue

Objective: The goal of this study was to document the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary profile of scleroderma in hospitals in Côte d'Ivoire.
Method: This was a descriptive study of the cases of patients suffering from scleroderma and received in the dermatology departments of Treichville and Bouake in Côte d'Ivoire from January 1983 to December 2015.
Results: The study of 217 cases of scleroderma revealed an increase in the number of scleroderma to 0.08% from 1983 to 2015. They predominated in women with a sex ratio (F/M) of 1.66. The mean age of patients was 25.35 years for localized scleroderma and 33.70 years for systemic scleroderma. Eighty point five (80.5%) of the subjects were of low socio-economic level. Seventy point eight (70.80%) of the patients consulted after a year of their disease. The most common clinical manifestations in the systemic scleroderma were the confetti skin bleaching and the Raynaud's syndrome. The extra-cutaneous manifestations were existing and varied. As for the localized scleroderma, three clinical aspects were found: morphea in plate, morphea in band, saber-like shape. The diagnosis in the majority of cases was done clinically. Therapeutically, the first-line treatment always remains the unsaponifiable of avocado oil and soya bean that give better results.
Conclusion: The results of this study confirm the scarcity of scleroderma in hospitals in Côte d'Ivoire and the clear predominance of females. It poses the difficulty of its management, which explains the many patients lost from sight.