Clinical characteristics and outcome of young West African patients with Bertolotti’s syndrome

Aim of the workTo assess the clinical characteristics and evolutionary track of Bertolotti’s syndrome in the rheumatology department of the National Teaching Hospital Hubert Koutoukou Maga of Cotonou, Benin.Patients and methodsA prospective study of 3 years (January 2011 to December 2013) evaluating the young patients suffering from Bertolotti’s syndrome met in the rheumatology department in NHU of Cotonou. Patients with the syndrome were recruited and followed-up over the study period. The clinical characteristics and therapeutic outcome of the patients were assessed over a period of six months.ResultsOf 2048 patients seen during the period in the rheumatology department, 21 (1%) had Bertolotti’s syndrome. The male:female ratio of the patients was 0.6 and the average age was 25.74 ± 9.32[19–35] years. Three patients came from the neighbouring countries (one from Togo and two from Nigeria). The average disease duration was 541 ± 113[180–656] days. The clinical symptom was dominated by low back and buttock pains (15 cases). In seven cases, there was S1 nerve root pain. Tenderness over the lumbo-sacral junction and spine was the main sign on physical examination. The evolution was satisfactory with a decline in pain and need for analgesics and NSAIDs after six months in 7 cases while a corticosteroid infiltration under fluoroscopy was required in 14 patients.ConclusionBertolotti’s syndrome should be considered as a separate entity in the differential diagnosis of mechanical low back pain in young patients. Good knowledge of this syndrome could contribute to improved management of low back pain.