TITLE:
Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Diseases at the General Idrissa Pouye Hospital in Dakar, Senegal: About 64 Cases
AUTHORS:
Mama Ndieme Diouf, Mamadou Ngoné Gueye, Bibata Touré, Mami Daro Fall, Gnagna Diouf, Daouda Dia, Mouhamadou Mbengue
KEYWORDS:
Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Dakar
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Gastroenterology,
Vol.16 No.7,
July
22,
2026
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) are chronic conditions marked by persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, characterized by periods of flare-ups and remission. For a long time, these diseases were considered almost nonexistent in sub-Saharan Africa; however, the number of diagnosed cases has increased in recent years. The aim of this study is to report, through a series of 64 patients, the epidemiological, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in our local context. Methods: This was a retrospective, descriptive, and analytical study spanning from January 1, 2017, to June 30, 2024. All consultation and hospitalization records of patients treated for IBD were collected. Sociodemographic, clinical, endoscopic, histological, radiological, therapeutic, and outcome data were gathered. Data entry and analysis were performed using Sphinx version 5.1.0.2 and SPSS version 18. Results: A total of 71 IBD records were identified among 25,646 files, corresponding to a prevalence of 0.27%. Seven records were unusable, leaving 64 records for analysis (55 UC cases and 9 CD cases). The mean age was 37 years, ranging from 13 to 74 years, with the 17 - 40 age group being the most represented. There was a slight male predominance (sex ratio 1.28). No family history of IBD was reported. Active smoking was identified in 14% of cases. The average diagnostic delay was 36 months for CD and 41 months for UC. Digestive symptoms were dominated by diarrhea and abdominal pain. Twenty-three patients had extraintestinal manifestations. Ano-perineal lesions were observed in 5 CD patients (55%). Endoscopy revealed pancolitis (Montreal E3) in 38% of UC cases and a Mayo endoscopic score of 3 in 26%. Ileocolic involvement (Montreal L2) predominated in CD cases. Severe acute colitis was recorded in 19 cases (30%). From a therapeutic standpoint, corticosteroids were initially used in 41 patients (64%). Maintenance therapy for UC was based on mesalazine in 15 patients (27%), azathioprine in 10 (18%), and sulfasalazine in 29 (55%). For CD, 5-ASA was used in 5 cases (55%) and azathioprine in 4 (44%). Four CD patients underwent surgery. Fourteen patients were lost to follow-up. Four patients died, three due to complications of severe acute colitis (16%). Conclusion: Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases are increasingly diagnosed in our setting. They mainly affect young adults with a slight male predominance. The long diagnostic delay likely contributes to the frequency of severe forms. Therapeutic options remain limited, and mortality in severe acute colitis is significant, underscoring the need for close collaboration between gastroenterologists and surgeons to optimize patient care.