Probable Vascular Dementia in the Tropics: A Study of Twenty-Six (26) Observations at Conakry University Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: In tropical environments, the diagnostic certainty of vascular dementia is difficult to establish due to under-medicalization, delays in consultation and above all the inadequacy of exploration methods. Material and methods: We analyzed the records of 153 patients hospitalized for dementia syndrome over a period from January 1, 2016 to December 21, 2021 in the Neurology Department of the Centre Hospitalo-. Universitaire de Conakry. Dementia status was assessed according to the Clinical Evaluation Scale (ECD), Confirmed by Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE<24) cognitive tests or Neuro, behavioral Cognitive Status Examination (NCSE) score. Results: 26 (twenty-six) patients fulfilled the DSM-IV criteria for vascular dementia, based on the association of dementia and cerebrovascular disease certified by the presence of focal neurological signs of vascular origin and imaging data. Conclusion: this study shows a non-stereotyped clinical and etiological profile of the spectrum of vascular dementias in the tropics, in a context of under-medicalization. These results are useful for diagnostic and prognostic discussion.