[Myelography and aspects of lumbar spine diseases in Abidjan].

Abstract

Lumbar spine disease in Black Africans is poorly documented. Based on a series of 320 patients examined by myelography, the authors try to define the profile of lumbar spine disease in Black Africans in Abidjan. This disease is dominated by degenerative anomalies and a predominance of degenerative disk disease (54.20%) over disk herniation (33.33%). In contrast to the usual data of the literature, these lesions were essentially observed in subjects whose work required limited physical stress to the lumbar spine: variable postures and prolonged sitting. Neoplastic disease was marked by secondary lesions due to Burkitt's lymphoma. Paradoxically, infectious and parasitic disease and haemoglobinopathies were rare. Diseases such as nerve root anomalies and Tarlov's cyst were not observed in this series. Further studies in nonselected patients are necessary to more clearly define these data which suggest features specific to Black Africans compared to the data generally reported in the literature.