Rheumatic Heart Valve Disease in Adults at Cardiology Department B Brazzaville University Hospital
Introduction: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a major public health problem in developing countries, particularly in Africa. The lack of recent data on adults in the Congo justifies this study, the aim of which was to investigate rheumatic valvular heart disease in Cardiology Ward B at Brazzaville University Hospital.
Patients and Methods: A retrospective, descriptive study was conducted using the medical records of patients admitted between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2025. The study included patients aged 18 years or older with rheumatic valvular heart disease confirmed by echocardiography.
Results: Of 2,065 hospitalised patients, 62 had rheumatic valvular heart disease confirmed by echocardiography, representing a prevalence of 3 per cent. There were 44 women (70.9 per cent). The sex ratio was 0.41 and the mean age was 29.5 ± 7.5 years (range: 18 to 50 years). Thirteen patients (20.9%) were under 25 years of age. Those not in education accounted for 17.7 per cent, whilst the unemployed and craft workers accounted for 38.7 per cent and 21 per cent respectively. A history of recurrent sore throats and polyarthralgia was found in half of the patients. The condition was monovalvular (100%). The type of lesion was regurgitation in 44 cases (70.9%), involving the mitral valve in 59.7% of cases and the aortic valve in 11.3% of cases. Other lesions affecting the mitral valve included: stenosis (n = 10, or 16.1%), and stenosis combined with regurgitation (n = 8, or 12.9%). The complications observed were heart failure (93.5 per cent) and arrhythmias (20.9 per cent). Treatment was primarily medical. Six patients (9.6 per cent) died.
Conclusion: in our setting, rheumatic valvular heart disease is most often diagnosed at the stage of heart failure or arrhythmia, due to delayed presentation. As surgery is not available, prevention remains essential, involving the treatment of streptococcal sore throats and prophylaxis against acute rheumatic fever. This requires the involvement of both the general public and public authorities.