Malignant melanoma in a black child: predisposing precursors and management.

Malignant melanoma (MM) remains a pediatric rarity world-wide, but perhaps more so in black Africans. To the best of our knowledge, the current report of MM in a two-and-a-half-year-old Nigerian who had a pre-existing congenital giant hairy nevus is probably the first (in an accessible literature) in a black African child. Primary neoplastic transformation and metastatic spread were suggested by the appearance of multiple swellings over the "garment" precursor nevus at the posterior trunk, multiple ipsilateral axillary nodal enlargement, and fresh occipital swellings postadmission. Smaller-sized hyperpigmented lesions with irregular, nonlobulated, and frequently hairy surfaces were also discernible over the upper and lower extremities, but the face, anterior trunk, and mucosal surfaces were relatively spared. A diagnosis of MM was confirmed by the subsequent histopathologic findings from the fine-needle aspirate and biopsy specimens. Chemotherapy was initiated but was truncated shortly after by parent-pressured discharge. Despite the rarity of MM in a tropical African setting where management options are few, the current case underscores the need for a high clinical index of diagnostic suspicion, an early pursuit of investigative confirmation, and prophylactic excision in children with the predisposing skin lesions, like congenital giant hairy nevus. An expounded discourse of the possible precursors and management options of MM is provided. We emphasize the need for institutional cost subsidy for anticancer care in tropical children.

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.

Primary sinonasal tuberculosis in a Nigerian woman presenting with epistaxis and proptosis: a case report.

Tuberculosis is the second leading cause of death worldwide after human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS and is especially prevalent in developing countries. We report a case of primary sinonasal tuberculosis without pulmonary involvement, which is rare, in a 27-year old female Nigerian fish farmer. She had a 3-year history of right-eye proptosis, bilateral nasal masses, and epistaxis. Cranial computed tomography suggested an extensive sinonaso-orbital neoplastic lesion. We performed a right external frontoethmoidectomy. Histologically, the excised nasal polyps revealed tuberculosis. Six months of antituberculosis therapy provided satisfactory improvement. Sinonasal tuberculosis, despite its rarity, should be added to the differential diagnosis of nasal and paranasal sinus disorders, and histologic evaluation remains the hallmark of diagnosis. Therapy with a short-duration, multidrug combination, rather than the longer-duration treatment regimen hitherto used, could be quite valuable, especially in the setting of a developing country with poor patient compliance.

Retinoblastoma--a clinico-pathological study in Ilorin, Nigeria.

Retinoblastoma is the commonest childhood primary malignant intraocular neoplasm that is often characterized by spontaneous regression. They display photoreceptor differentiation. This study provides the clinical presentations and histological profiles of retinoblastoma in Ilorin, Kwara-State, in the North Central geo-political zone of Nigeria. A retrospective study of clinically and histologically verified retinoblastoma at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara-State, Nigeria from January 1989 to December 2000 was undertaken. The clinical and histological features were analyzed using the patient's case folder and surgical pathology records. There were 20 patients, 9 males and 11 females (M:F ratio 1: 1.2), age range from 5 (1/2) months to 6 years with 23 eyeball tumours histologically confirmed retinoblastoma during the study period. Proptosis with chemosis was the most common clinical presentation (84.6 %). Bilaterality was 15 % in this study. Enucleation and Exenteration combined with chemotherapy were offered to 15 (75 %) and 5 (25 %) patients respectively. A poorly differentiated type with extensive areas of tumour necrosis was the commonest histological pattern. Thirteen (65 %) of the patients died before completing the course of chemotherapy.