The pattern of liver cirrhosis at the Kenyatta National Hospital Nairobi

Abstract

Forty patients with histologically confirmed cirrhosis attending Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) were studied. The mean age of the patients was 46. I years and the male to female ratio was 2:1. Kikuyu tribe predominated over the other tribes. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seropostivity rate was 60% in the study compared with 10% in controls. Alcohol possibly plays an equally important role in the causation of cirrhosis but many of the characteristic histological features seen in Caucasians were lacking. However, haemosiderosis was a consistent feature. The aetiology of cirrhosis could be explained in over three quarters of the patients and were postviral hepatitic cirrhosis, alcoholic cirrhosis and cryptogenic cirrhosis in that order. Autoimmune 1iver disease was not seen in Africans.