Epidemiological. Etiological And Therapeutic Aspects of Paraplegia at the National Hospital of Niamey

Moussa E. I. F., Sabo H., Aboubacar R., Sayo A., Seydou A., Adehossi Eric O.

Abstract: Introduction: Paraplegia is defined as paralysis of the lower limbs secondary to damage to the spinal cord or nerve roots, or bilateral parasagittal brain injury. It represents a diagnostic and therapeutic emergency, especially if the onset is acute. The objective was to determine the epidemiological, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects of paraplegia at the National Hospital of Niamey. Materials and methods: This was a prospective, descriptive study conducted over a period of nine months in the rheumatology, internal medicine, and neurosurgery departments of the National Hospital of Niamey. Our study included all patients with paraplegia treated in the various departments during the study period. Results: A total of 52 patients with paraplegia were included in our study. The average age of the patients was 37 years (?24), ranging from 3 weeks to 81 years. The sex ratio was 3:1 in favor of men. The average time to consultation was 5 months, ranging from 2 days to 16 months. There were multiple etiologies, with a predominance of Pott's disease (26.92%), followed by spinal cord trauma (17.31%) and congenital malformations (17.31%). Other etiologies included disc herniation (5.77%), metastatic epiduritis (9.62%), combined spinal sclerosis (1.92%), multiple myeloma (1.92%), and HIV-related myelopathy (1.92%), intraspinal tumors (3.85%), and pyogenic spondylodiscitis (1.92%). The etiology was not determined in 14.54% of cases. Conclusion: Paraplegia is a fairly common reason for consultation at the National Hospital in Niamey. Young males are the most affected, with a predominance of Pott's disease. Treatment is medical in the majority of cases.

Keywords: paraplegia, spinal cord compression, myelopathy, Niger

How to Cite?: Moussa E. I. F., Sabo H., Aboubacar R., Sayo A., Seydou A., Adehossi Eric O., "Epidemiological. Etiological And Therapeutic Aspects of Paraplegia at the National Hospital of Niamey", Volume 14 Issue 10, October 2025, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1260-1263, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR251015234054, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR251015234054