Table 1. The clinico-epidemiological features of BU patients at admission in IME/Kimpese Hospital.

	2002–2004		2005–2007		p
Number of suspected BU cases	64		190
Average number of annual admissions	21		63
Classification of cases (%)
New case	67.2	(43/64)	88.4	(168/190)	<0.001
Relapse	32.8	(21/64)	11.6	(22/190)	<0.001
Ulcerative forms at detection (%)	95.3	(61/64)	85.8	(163/190)	0.041
Clinical Forms (%)
Mixed ulcerated forms	64	(41/64)	33.7	(64/190)	<0.001
Simple ulcerated forms	31.3	(20/64)	52.1	(99/190)	0.003
Simple ulcerated forms amongst the ulcers	32.8	(20/61)	60.7	(99/163)	<0.001
Edema	1.5	(1/64)	3.7	(7/190)	0.358*
Nodule	0		2.6	(5/190)	0.231*
Papule	0		0
Plaque	1.5	(1/64)	2.1	(4/190)	0.628*
Non ulcerative mixed forms	1.5	(1/64)	2.1	(4/190)	0.628*
Suspected osteomyelitis	29.7	(19/64)	14.7	(28/190)	0.007
Confirmed osteomyelitis	14	(9/64)	9.5	(18/190)	0.302
Sites of lesions (%)
Lower limb	65.6	(42/64)	68.4	(130/190)	0.679
Upper limb	35.9	(23/64)	25.8	(49/190)	0.119
Thorax	3.1	(2/64)	2.1	(4/190)	0.471*
Back	4.7	(3/64)	1.6	(3/190)	0.170*
Head and neck	6.3	(4/64)	8.9	(17/190)	0.497
Abdomen	0		1.1	(2/190)	0.558*
Buttock and perineum	0		0.5	(1/190)	0.748*
Disability at admission (%)	36	(23/64)	25.8	(49/190)	0.119
Distribution by age in years (%)
≤15	35.9	(23/64)	40	(76/190)	0.564
16–45	37.5	(24/64)	42.1	(80/190)	0.516
>45	26.6	(17/64)	17.9	(34/190)	0.134
Median age (years)	19.5		21
Sex ratio (M/F)	2.4/1	(45/19)	1.02/1	(96/94)
Proportion of female patients (%)	30	(19/64)	49	(94/190)	0.005
Median delay of disease before detection (weeks)	6		8

*Fisher exact test (An expected cell value is less than 5).