Etiologies of Bone Metastases at the Rheumatology Department (UTH) of Abidjan

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the diagnostic and etiological aspects of bone metastases in the Rheumatology Department of Cocody's University Teaching Hospital (UTH). Methodology: This was a descriptive, 11-year retrospective study (January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2016) of inpatient records of bone metastases. The diagnosis was made on clinical (bone signs), radiological (osteolysis, bone condensation) and sometimes histological basis. Result: Eighty out of 6, 1111 inpatients suffered from bone metastasis with a hospital frequency of 1.30%. The average age was 60.74 years (range 26 to 81 years). Men were predominant (53 men for 27 women) with a sex ratio of 1.96. The main complaints were pain (97.6%). chronic (90%), severe (73.8%), inflammatory (93.8%). There was sometimes a neurological complication: a motor deficit (21.3%), sensitive (13.8%). These symptoms were associated with fever (56.3%) and altered general state (85%). Bone metastases have been revealing in the vast majority of cases (93.75%); the primary cancer was known only in 5 patients (prostate = 2, breast = 2 and cervix = 1). Bone condensation (61.3%), osteolysis (50%) and mixed lesions (7.5%) where the main radiological lesions observed. The primary tumors were: prostatic (50%), pulmonary (18.8%), mammary (11.3%), uterine (5%), renal (2.5%), hepatic (2.5%), bladder (1.3%) and adrenal (1.3%). Conclusion: Bone metastases affect mostly the elderly; inflammatory spinal pain is the main symptom. Bone condensation is the most common radiologic lesion. The prostate, breast and lungs are the main primary tumors.