Modupeola Omotara Samaila

The role of hospital-based cancer registries in low and middle income countries—The Nigerian Case Study

BACKGROUND The incidence of cancer continues to rise all over the world and current projections show that there will be 1.27 million new cases and almost 1 million deaths by 2030. In view of the rising incidence of cancer in sub-Saharan Africa, urgent steps are needed to guide appropriate policy, health sector investment and resource allocation. We posit that hospital based cancer registries (HBCR) are fundamental sources of information on the frequent cancer sites in limited resource regions where population level data is often unavailable. In regions where population based cancer registries are not in existence, HBCR are beneficial for policy and planning. MATERIALS AND METHODS Nineteen of twenty-one cancer registries in Nigeria met the definition of HBCR, and from these registries, we requested data on cancer cases recorded from January 2009 to December 2010. 16 of the 19 registries (84%) responded. Data on year hospital was established; year cancer registry was established, no. of pathologists and types of oncology services available in each tertiary health facility were shown. Analysis of relative frequency of cancers in each HBCR, the basis of diagnosis recorded in the HBCR and the total number of cases recorded by gender was carried out. RESULTS The total number of cancers registered in these 11 hospital based cancer registries in 2009 and 2010 was 6484. The number of new cancer cases recorded annually in these hospital based cancer registries on average was 117 cases in males and I77 cases in females. Breast and cervical cancer were the most common cancers seen in women while prostate cancer was the commonest among men seen in these tertiary hospitals. CONCLUSION Information provided by HBCR is beneficial and can be utilized for the improvement of cancer care delivery systems in low and middle income countries where there are no population based cancer registries.

Malignant tumours of childhood in Zaria

BACKGROUND The increased prevalence of hitherto uncommon tumours in children in our geographic setting formed the basis for this study. This study aimed to determine the current histopathologic distribution pattern of paediatric malignancies in Zaria. MATERIALS AND METHODS An eight year (2000-2007) consecutive analysis of malignant tumours in children ages 0 to 15 years in a referral University laboratory. All tissue biopsies were fixed in 10% formalin and processed in wax. Tumours were characterised histologically into tissues of origin and categorised into three age groups; <1 year, 1-5 years and 6-15 years. RESULT 189 children with malignant tumours were analysed. They showed a male preponderance (M: F; 1.2: 1.0) and their ages ranged from 5 days to 15 years. Tumours of mesenchymal origin were the commonest (115: 60.8%) while epithelial tumours including germ cell tumours accounted for 74 (39.2%) cases. The age group 1-5 years had the highest epithelial tumours while age group 6-15 years had the most tumours with 102 (54%) cases overall. The five commonest tumours over-all were rhabdomyosarcoma, Burkitt lymphoma, retinoblastoma, non-Hodgkins lymphoma and nephroblastoma. Germ cell tumours affected the ovary predominantly and two of the endodermal sinus tumour cases were seen in the testis of an eighteen month child and sacrococcygeum of a 5 year old girl, respectively. Of the six immature teratoma cases, four were cutaneous in distribution. The vascular tumours included epithelioid haemangioendothelioma, haemangioblastoma and Dabska tumour and they accounted for (5.8%) of all tumours seen. The commonest sites of occurrence of these tumours were the oculo-orbital, jaw, head and neck regions with 82 cases (43.4%) while lymph nodes were involved in 31 (16.4%) cases. CONCLUSION The distribution and occurrence of malignant tumours in children is age related. Lymphomas were the commonest tumours overall while retinoblastoma and Burkitt lymphoma were the commonest tumours affecting children below 5 years and 6-10 years old, respectively, in our centre. The head region and lymph nodes were the sites of predilection for majority of these tumours.

Cutaneous manifestations of deep mycosis: an experience in a tropical pathology laboratory.

Background: Cutaneous manifestations of deep mycotic infection are fraught with delayed or misdiagnosis from mainly cutaneous neoplastic lesions. Aim: This study is designed to present our experience of these mycoses in a pathology laboratory in the tropics. Materials and Methods: A clinicopathologic analysis of deep mycotic infections was conducted over a 15 years period Formalin fixed and paraffin wax processed biopsies were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, periodic acid Schiff (PAS), and Grocotts methenamine silver (GMS) for the identification of fungus specie. Patients’ bio-data and clinical information were obtained from records. Results: Twenty males and seven females presented with 6 months to 6 years histories of varying symptoms of slow growing facial swellings, nodules, subcutaneous frontal skull swelling, proptosis, nasal blockage, epistaxis, discharging leg sinuses, flank mass, convulsion and pain. Of the 27 patients, four gave antecedent history of trauma, two had recurrent lesions which necessitated maxilectomy, two presented with convulsion without motor dysfunction while one had associated erosion of the small bones of the foot. None of the patients had debilitating illnesses such as diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, and HIV infection. Tissue histology revealed histoplasmosis (10), mycetoma (9), subcutaneous phycomycosis (6), and phaeohyphomycosis (2). Conclusion: Deep mycoses may present primarily as cutaneous lesions in immunocompetent persons and often elicit distinct histologic inflammatory response characterized by granuloma formation. Diagnosis in resource constraint setting can be achieved with tissue stained with PAS and GMS which identifies implicated fungus. Clinical recognition and adequate knowledge of the pathology of these mycoses may reduce attendant patient morbidity.

Renal metastasis from prostate adenocarcinoma: a potential diagnostic pitfall.

Renal metastasis from prostatic origin is an uncommon event. Advanced prostate cancer locally invades the seminal vesicles, bladder and regional lymph nodes. Other metastatic sites are the lung, bone and other visceral organs. We present a 55-year old, Hausa man from Northern Nigeria who was managed as a case of infected renal cyst which later turned out to be a metastatic prostatic adenocarcinoma with a rare pattern of widespread bony metastases.Renal metastasis from prostate adenocarcinoma is a rare occurrence, however, high level of suspicion is needed in order to avoid potential diagnostic pitfall.

Prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in Zaria

1. Preventing cervical cancer: Unprecedented opportunities for improving women’s health. Outlook 2007;1:23. 2. Roblyer D, Richards-Kortum R, Park SY, Adewole I, Follen M. Objective screening for cervical cancer in developing nations: Lessons from Nigeria. Gynecol Oncol 2007;107:S94-7. 3. Ayangbade O,Akinyemi A. Cervical Cytology in an urban Nigeria population. E Afr Med J 1982;66:50-6. 4. Ogun GO. Ronald Bejide cervical cancer in Nigeria, Still a Dismal story: The poor state of cervical cytology screening, factors responsible for continous high incidence of cervical cancer and hope for improvement. Washington, DC, USA: UICC World Congress; 2006. p. 8-12. Sir, Cervical cytology still remains the major method of cervical cancer prevention. The prevalence and incidence of carcinoma of the cervix is on the increase, despite the availability of screening method, which necessitated this study.

Postpartum Ovarian Vein Thrombosis: Incidental Diagnosis at Surgery

Ovarian vein thrombosis is a rare clinical entity that may present in the puerperium. We report the clinical outcomes of two cases of postpartum ovarian vein thrombosis, incidentally diagnosed at laparotomy in 16-year-old and 23-year-old females. They had preoperative diagnosis of torsion tuboovarian mass and twisted pedunculated uterine fibroid, respectively. Both patients had transection and ligation of right thrombosed ovarian vein. Postoperative management included a week course of anticoagulant, antibiotics and analgesia. Postpartum ovarian vein thrombosis is a diagnosis of exclusion in the puerperium and a high index of suspicion will reduce associated morbidity and mortality.

Cutaneous umbilical metastases in post-menopausal females with gynaecological malignancies.

Gynaecological malignancies frequently metastasize to contiguous structures, internal organs and bones. Cutaneous metastasis as a primary or recurrent presentation of these malignancies is rare and only a few cases have been reported in the literature. A twenty year (1991-2010) retrospective search for umbilical metastasis from gynaecological malignancies in our departmental case records showed only four cases. Four post-menopausal females presented with painful cutaneous umbilical (Sister Josephs) nodules. The clinical examinations of all four patients revealed well delineated nodules of varying sizes and degrees of ulceration. Other findings were matted axillary and inguinal lymph node enlargement, intra-abdominal and pelvic masses, vaginal discharge and vaginal bleeding. Incisional tissue biopsies from the nodules were processed in paraffin wax and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Histology of the sections showed pigmented skin overlying metastatic malignant tumours consistent with adenocarcinoma from the endometrium and ovary in three cases, and squamous cell carcinoma, large cell keratinizing from the cervix uteri in the fourth case. Gynaecological cancers have a global spread and varied geographic distribution. Cervical cancer is the commonest in our setting and patients often present to hospital with advanced stage disease. Ovarian and endometrial cancers are infrequent and their diagnosis may be delayed by non- specificity of presenting clinical symptoms from other benign tumours at these sites. Although umbilical metastasis is commonly associated with gastro-intestinal malignancies, its presence may be the first harbinger of occult gynaecologic cancer.

Yolk sac tumour of the penile shaft: A rare primary extra-gonadal presentation

Germ cell tumours (GCTs) commonly involve the ovaries, testes, and other midline structures in children and adolescents and comprised a variety of tumours that have a common histiogenetic origin. The yolk sac tumour (YST) variant is the most common one seen in over 80% of testicular GCTs in children. Other sites of occurrence of these tumours include the mediastinum, prostate, retroperitoneum, and sacrococcygeal region. Penile malignancies account for less than 10% of male malignancies in the elderly, while its occurrence in children is rare. We present the case of a 5-year-old child with YST of the penile shaft and uninvolved testes.

Human dicrocoeliasis presenting as a subcutaneous mass

Human infection by Dicrocoelium dendriticum, a zoonotic liver fluke, is uncommon and soft tissue manifestation is extremely rare. The infection has no specific clinical signs or symptoms and diagnosis may be missed completely, thus treatment may be delayed. Diagnosis in humans is by identification of the eggs in the stool, while a living or dead fluke is rarely seen. The present report concerns the case of a 7-year-old child who presented with recurrent right flank subcutaneous nodules containing a live fluke on excision, and tissue histology showed characteristic brown operculated ova of D dendriticum. This is the first extraintestinal soft tissue presentation in such a setting. It is important to know the life cycle and natural habitat of this rare human parasite in order to make a correct diagnosis and institute early treatment in patients who have become infected.

Epithelioid hemangioma mimicking multinodular goiter: A case report and the review of the literature

Epithelioid hemangioma (EH) is an uncommon cutaneous vascular lesion often localized to the superficial dermis. We report a 55-year-old female with multilobular anterolateral neck mass which was clinically diagnosed as multinodular goiter. However, tissue histology revealed EH.