Original Article Spectrum of heart diseases in children: an echocardiographic study of 1,666 subjects in a pediatric hospital, Yaounde, Cameroon

Background: Children’s health programs in Sub-Saharan Africa have always been oriented primarily to infectious diseases and malnutrition. We are witnessing in the early 21st century an epidemiological transition marked by the decline of old diseases and the identification of new diseases including heart disease. Therefore, it is necessary to describe the spectrum of these diseases in order to better prepare health workers to these new challenges. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study focused on heart disease diagnosed by echocardiography in children seen from January 2006 to December 2014 in a pediatric hospital of Yaounde. We collected socio-demographic data and the types of heart disease from registers, patients files as well as the electronic database of echocardiographic records. Results: A total of 2,235 patients underwent echocardiographic examination during the study period including 1,666 subjects with heart disease. Congenital cardiopathies were found in 1,230 (73.8%) patient