[The epidemiological approach of clefts lip and palate in the eastern of Democratic Republic of Congo].

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to present the epidemiological profile of clefts lip/palate observed in the eastern of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from January 2002 to May 2004, period of civil wars.

METHOD: It is a retrospective study realized at Doctors on Call for service Learning Center (DOCS LC) in Goma/DRC concerning 89 cases of cleft lip/palate operated during the same period. The data processing was facilitated by the software package SPSS 17.0 installed in the IT center of DOCS.

RESULTS

The average age of the consultation is 9.9 years with extreme of zero and 42 years. Both sexes are concerned: 50.6% of male and 49.4% of female. The more cleft extends from the superior lip to the palate through the alveolus, the more the frequency of the various types of clefts lips/palate decreases: 59.6% (simple clefts lip), 37.1% (labio-alveolar clefts), and 2.2% (cleft palate). The left incomplete cleft lip variety represents 33.7% of all varieties. Most of clefts lips/palate come from the first to the fifth pregnancy with a peak of frequency (19.1%) in the second pregnancy. No family history about congenital deformation was found from 97% of our patients.

CONCLUSION

The epidemiology of cleft lip/palate in our area would be more connected to environmental factors than genetics: no family history of congenital deformation was seen for most of our patients during this period of civil war.