Inaugural Descriptive Study of Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy in West Africa, The Case of Burkina Faso

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Résumé

Introduction: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is a rare acquired neuropathy, but one that is still poorly documented in sub-Saharan Africa. We are conducting an inaugural descriptive study on CIDP in Burkina Faso.

Patients and methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study with prospective data collection, conducted from January 2021 to December 2024 in three private health centres in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The study consecutively included patients seen for consultation for CIDP diagnosed according to the EFNS/PNS (2010) criteria, updated by the EAN/PNS criteria of 2021. The sociodemographic, clinical, ENMG and CSF characteristics of the patients were analysed.

Results: A total of 37 cases of CPID were collected, with a median age of 53.3 years and a predominance of males (62.2%); hypertension and diabetes, each accounting for 45.9% of cases, were the most common comorbidities. Progressive motor weakness (73%) and paraesthesia (48.6%) were the main reasons for consultation. On initial clinical examination, motor deficit was present in 32 patients (86.5%), mainly in the form of paresis (68.7%) of the proximal-distal (64.7%) lower limbs (65.6%); Sensory disorders were dominated by paresthesia (91.9%) and hypoesthesia (83.8%), predominantly distal (51.3%) in all four limbs (37.8%) or the lower limbs (45.9%); ROTs were reduced in 51.4% of cases. Proprioceptive ataxia, cranial nerve involvement and dysautonomia were found in 81.1%, 13.5% and 16.2% of cases, respectively. ENMG and LP revealed segmental or multifocal demyelination (100%) and albumin-cytological dissociation (83.3%), respectively.

Conclusion: Improved accessibility and availability of neurologists trained in clinical neurophysiology, diagnostic tools such as ENMG, and immunological biological tests would help to improve and refine the diagnosis of CIDP.

Mots-clés

Motor Deficit; Paraesthesia; Hypoaesthesia; Lower Limbs; ENMG; Demyelination; Albumin- Cytological Dissociation.