TITLE:
Dilated Cardiomyopathy in the Cardiology Department of Dalal Jamm National Hospital, Dakar, Senegal: Epidemiological, Clinical, Paraclinical, Therapeutic and Outcome Aspects
AUTHORS:
Ngoné Diaba Gaye, Joseph Salvador Mingou, Mayang Aicha Ndiaye, Malick Ndiaye, Marguerite Tening Diouf, Lamine Ly, Seydina Oumar Gueye, Mamadou Adama Thiam, Alassane Mbaye, Abdoul Kane, Aliou Alassane Ngaïdé
KEYWORDS:
Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Heart Failure, Echocardiography, In-Hospital Mortality, Senegal
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases,
Vol.16 No.8,
August
26,
2026
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a myocardial disease characterised by left ventricular or biventricular dilatation associated with impaired systolic function, in the absence of a sufficient haemodynamic or coronary cause. It is an important cause of heart failure, arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death and heart transplantation. In sub-Saharan Africa, DCM remains underestimated because of delayed diagnosis and limited access to specialised investigations. The objectives of this study were to analyse the epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic and outcome aspects of DCM in the Cardiology Department of Dalal Jamm National Hospital, Dakar. Methods: This was a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study conducted from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2024 in the Cardiology Department of Dalal Jamm National Hospital. All patients aged at least 15 years who were hospitalised for DCM during the study period were included. The diagnosis was based on left ventricular dilatation associated with left ventricular systolic dysfunction, after exclusion of significant valvular heart disease, severe hypertension or sufficient coronary artery disease. Sociodemographic, clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic and outcome data were collected from medical records. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26.0, with statistical significance set at p Results: Among 2575 cardiology admissions, 500 records were screened as possible DCM; 112 were excluded and 388 met the inclusion criteria, corresponding to a hospital frequency of 15.1%. Mean age was 57.46 years, with a range from 15 to 92 years. Women accounted for 52% of the study population, with a male-to-female sex ratio of 0.91. The main cardiovascular risk factors were physical inactivity (63%), hypertension (54.2%), diabetes (23.8%) and smoking (20.6%). Dyspnoea was the main symptom (90.5%), followed by lower limb oedema (56.4%) and cough (49%). Physical signs were dominated by spontaneous jugular venous distension (70.9%), lower limb oedema (61.9%), hepatomegaly (60.3%) and crackles (55.2%). Regarding paraclinical findings, 47.2% of patients had anaemia, 63.9% had impaired glomerular filtration rate and 84.5% had a left ventricular ejection fraction below 40%. Aetiologies were unexplained in 75.3% of cases, thyroid-related in 9.3%, peripartum-related in 9% and toxic in 2.8%. Treatment was mainly based on spironolactone (88%), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (85.6%), furosemide (85%) and beta-blockers (74.1%). Clinical outcome was favourable in 81.44% of patients, with an overall mortality of 15.5%. Conclusion: DCM was a frequent cause of cardiology hospitalisation at Dalal Jamm National Hospital. Its profile was characterised by frequent congestive presentation, severe impairment of systolic function and high in-hospital mortality. These findings highlight the need for early diagnosis, improved aetiological investigation and therapeutic optimisation.