TITLE:
Biliary Tract Pathologies: Epidemiological, Clinical and Paraclinical Aspects in N’Djamena
AUTHORS:
Mayanna Habkréo, Medila Moussa Ali, Hiknone Bruno, Badawi Mahamat, Bordé Emmanuel, Goumbo Nedjim, Any Bralbaye Adoumté, Moussa Elefi, Ali Mahamat Abakar, Maire Dainssala, Mahamat Ali Hachim, Tahir Mahamat Saleh, Ali Mahamat Moussa
KEYWORDS:
Biliary Tract Pathologies, Epidemiology, Clinical, Paraclinical, N’Djamena, Chad
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Gastroenterology,
Vol.16 No.3,
March
17,
2026
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Biliary tract pathologies are a frequent reason for consultation and hospitalization in gastroenterology and digestive surgery, with a significant impact on the health system, particularly in hospital settings in Chad. The aim of this study is to evaluate the epidemiological, clinical and paraclinical characteristics of the main biliary tract pathologies encountered at the National Reference University Hospital of N’Djamena. Patients and Methods: This was a descriptive retro-prospective study conducted over 5 years among patients aged 18 years and older hospitalized for biliary tract diseases in the Department of Internal Medicine/Gastroenterology. Socio-demographic, clinical and paraclinical data were collected from usable medical records, entered into Excel and analyzed using SPSS 18.0. Results: Of 3365 hospitalized patients, 202 met the inclusion criteria, corresponding to a hospital prevalence of 6%. The mean age was 55 years, with a female predominance (63.36%) and a sex ratio of 0.57. The main symptoms were vomiting (85.14%) and abdominal pain (78.21%). Hyperbilirubinemia was found in 80.2% of cases. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a predominance of gallstone disease (51%), while abdominal CT scan identified gallbladder tumors in 2.4% of cases. Conclusion: In our context, biliary tract pathologies are dominated by gallstone disease, with a clear female predominance.