Ischemic strokes among people living with HIV in the infectious and tropical diseases department at Point G University Hospital, Bamako, Mali.

Abstract

Introduction :
Due to cART, HIV infection has become a chronic disease, favouring comorbidities including cardiovascular diseases. The aim of our study was to estimate the burden of ischemic stroke in PLHIV and to describe its clinical and radiological characteristics. Materials and Method: This was a cross-sectional study with prospective collection from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019, in HIV-infected patients hospitalized in the Infectious and Tropical Diseases Department of the Point G University Hospital. Ischemic stroke was diagnosed based on clinical and computed tomography arguments. Data were analyzed with SPSS 22.0 software.

Results :
We enrolled 22 ischemic strokes out of 536 hospitalized PLHIV, ie a frequency of 4.1%. The male gender accounted for 68.2%. The mean age was 46.5 ± 11.05 years. High blood pressure (40.1%) was the most frequent personal risk factor. The clinical description of ischemic strokes in HIV-infected patients remains classic. The middle cerebral artery was involved in 50% of cases. Echocardiographic abnormalities were found in 9 cases. Carotid atheroma was present in 53.3% of cases on Doppler ultrasound. The LDL/HDL ratio was high in 41.7% of patients. The average CD4 count was 172 ± 192.8 cells/mm3. The average length of hospitalization was 27.2 ± 14.8 days and lethality was 13.6%.

Conclusions :
Ischemic stroke is a common comorbidity among PLWHIV burdening their morbidity and mortality.