the Prevalence of Rheumatic Diseases in Rural Areas Democratic Republic Congo: Epidemiological, clinical and radiological profile

This book presents the clinical picture of rheumatic diseases in rural areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through a study carried out in the villages surrounding Nkamba-Nouvelle Jérusalem in Kongo-Central Province. Overall, 49.5 per cent of participants reported osteoarticular complaints; pain was the 'predominant symptom' in the majority of joint conditions and was of mechanical and/or inflammatory aetiology. The most common sites of pain were the lumbar spine (27.2 per cent) and the hands (27.1 per cent) . Several nosological entities were diagnosed on the basis of international criteria, and the prevalence of each was determined. In conclusion, rheumatic diseases are prevalent and present a varied clinical picture in rural Congo. Some differences compared with data in the literature were observed for certain conditions, from demographic, clinical, biological and radiological perspectives.