Pediatr Rheumatol
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Paediatric rheumatology service in Sub-Sahara African is virtually not available as there is a shortage of paediatric rheumatologists and other rheumatology health professionals. We aim to describe the clinical spectrum and the frequencies of paediatric rheumatic diseases (PRDs) in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Lagos, Nigeria. ⋯ The pattern of PRDs observed in this study is similar to that described in South African and North American series but it differs from patterns reported in Asian series. Although hitherto largely unrecognized, PRDs may constitute a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality in black Africans.
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Pediatric rheumatic diseases are chronic illnesses that can cause considerable disease burden to children and their families. There is limited epidemiologic data on these diseases in East Africa. The aim of this study was to assess the spectrum of pediatric rheumatic diagnoses in an in-patient setting and determine the accuracy of ICD-10 codes in identifying these conditions. ⋯ Pediatric rheumatic conditions represented 0.32% of admissions at a pediatric hospital in Kenya. Acute inflammatory arthropathies, septic arthritis and Kawasaki disease were the most frequent in-patient rheumatic diagnoses. Chronic pediatric rheumatic diseases were rare amongst this in-patient population. Despite limitations associated with the use of administrative diagnostic codes, they can be a first step in evaluating the spectrum of pediatric rheumatic conditions in Kenya and other countries in East Africa.