Abstract: The
prevalence of neurological complications among adult
Sudanese patients with chronic liver disease.
Ahmed Hamad, MD*, Abbashar Hussein, MD.Med,** Amar AlTahir, PhD. DCN**,
Hatim Mudawi, FRCP**, Salma Barakat, MD. MRCP***.
Faculty of Medicine, University of Bahr Algazal*
Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Sudan**
Ibn Sina Hospital***
Objective
We aimed to study the prevalence of neurological complications among
adult Sudanese patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) seen in Ibn Sina
Hospital (Sudan) (February 2005 - February 2006).
Patients & Methods
This is a prospective descriptive cross sectional hospital based
study. Ninety six adult Sudanese patients with CLD were included in the study.
All patients had been subjected to full detailed history, proper clinical
examination and necessary investigations including EEG, Brain CT, MRI, NCS and
EMG.
Result:
Male to female ratio was (2.5:1). Splenomegally was observed in 71patients
(74%), shrunken liver in 83 (86.5%), 74 (77.1%) had ascites.
Sixty percent had liver cirrhosis, 24% had cirrhosis with periportal fibrosis (PPF).
Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) was detected in 12 patients. Out of 96 patients
with CLD, neurological complications were detected in 44 (45.8%), acute hepatic
encephalopathy ranging from grade I to grade IV was found to be the most common
neurological complication (29 patients).
Conclusion
Neurological complications were common among adult Sudanese patient with chronic
liver disease.
Key words: hepatitis, ovulation, pituitary, dopamine