Epidemiological, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Aspects of Hepatocellular Carcinoma at the Regional Teaching Hospital of Ouahigouya in Burkina Faso

Objective: The aim of the study was to clarify the epidemiological, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of hepatocellular carcinoma at Regional Teaching Hospital of Ouahigouya in Burkina Faso. Patients and Methods: This study was a retrospective, single-center, descriptive study of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma hospitalized in the Hepato-Gastroenterology Department of Regional Teaching Hospital of Ouahigouya from February 22, 2014, to December 13, 2022. Diagnosis was based on the presence of hepatic nodules on liver cirrhosis on ultrasound or abdominal CT scan. An alpha-fetoprotein level ≥ 200 ng/mL was considered significant. Histological diagnosis was not possible in our practice setting. Results: Three hundred and twenty-two patients were hospitalized during the study period with a mean age of 48.07 ± 15.1 years. The sex ratio, male-female ratio, was 2.42. The reason for hospitalization was deterioration of general condition (94.1%), abdominal pain predominantly in the right hypochondrium (85.2%), abdominal distension (62.1%), jaundice (54.3%), and digestive hemorrhage (8%). Hepatomegaly predominated (76.1%), followed by ascites (71.1%), jaundice (54.3%), collateral venous circulation (25.7%), splenomegaly (21.1%), and encephalopathy (15.8%). Alpha fetoprotein was greater than 200 ng/mL in 56.9% of cases. HBs antigen was positive in 73.9% of cases, total anti-HBc antibodies in 89.1% of cases, and anti-HCV antibodies in 6.1% of cases. Ultrasound (99.3%) and abdominal CT scan (25.7%) showed more than multiple nodules in 50.4% of cases. Treatment was most often palliative, based on supportive care in 99.3% of cases. Conclusion: The diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma is always made at an advanced stage when the possibilities of curative treatment are exceeded. Biology and radiology were the main diagnostic criteria used, and treatment was symptomatic in almost all cases.