Diagnostic Utility of EMA, Vimentin and CD117 Immunohistochemical Markers in Subtyping Renal Cell Carcinoma in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital: A 10-year Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Renal cell carcinoma is the most lethal urological cancer and contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality due to cancers of the urogenital tract. In routine diagnostic surgical pathology practice of renal tumours, immunohistochemistry is a helpful ancillary technique after routine H & E. The role of renal immunohistochemistry is explored in this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of all the confirmed cases of renal cell carcinoma seen at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, during the 10-year study period of 2007 to 2016 were retrieved, sectioned and immunohistochemistry done using monoclonal antibodies for EMA, Vimentin and CD117 following standard protocols. Frequency statistics and chi-square were applied to data to determine proportions and associations using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. RESULTS: A total of 48 cases of renal cell carcinoma were seen within the study period that met the inclusion criteria for the study. The age range of the patients was between 3 to 76 years with an average age of 44.17 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1:1.3. Fuhrman Grade 2 nuclei were predominant (43.75%) while Fuhrman Grade 4 nuclei had the lowest frequency (6.25%). EMAstaining patterns for the different histological patterns of RCC showed no statistically significant difference while Vimentin and CD117 staining patterns showed a statistically significant difference. There was no statistically significant difference observed between the staining patterns of all three markers and the nuclear grades of the cases of RCC. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the usefulness of Vimentin and CD117 in differentiating chromophobe variant of renal cell carcinoma from other subtypes while EMA showed variable expression across the various subtypes.

CONTEXTE: Le carcinome à cellules rénales est le cancer urologique le plus mortel et contribue de manière significative à la morbidité et à la mortalité liées aux cancers du tractus urogénital. Dans la pratique courante de la pathologie chirurgicale diagnostique des tumeurs rénales, l'immunohistochimie est une technique auxiliaire utile après la coloration H & E (hématoxyline et éosine). Le rôle de l'immunohistochimie rénale est exploré dans cette étude. MATÉRIEL ET MÉTHODES: Les blocs de tissus inclus en paraffine de tous les cas confirmés de carcinome à cellules rénales observés à l'hôpital universitaire du collège (UCH) d'Ibadan, au cours de la période d'étude de 10 ans de 2007 à 2016, ont été récupérés, sectionnés et soumis à une immunohistochimie en utilisant des anticorps monoclonaux dirigés contre l'EMA, la vimentine et le CD117 suivant des protocoles standard.Des statistiques de fréquence et le test du chi-carré ont été appliqués aux données pour déterminer les proportions et les associations à l'aide du logiciel Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. RÉSULTATS: Au cours de la période d'étude, un total de 48 cas de carcinome à cellules rénales répondant aux critères d'inclusion de l'étude ont été observés. L'âge des patients variait de 3 à 76 ans, avec un âge moyen de 44,17 ans. Le ratio hommes-femmes était de 1:1,3. Les noyaux de grade Fuhrman 2 étaient prédominants (43,75 %), tandis que les noyaux de grade Fuhrman 4 présentaient la fréquence la plus basse (6,25 %). Les schémas de coloration de l'EMA pour les différentes variantes histologiques du RCC n'ont montré aucune différence statistiquement significative, tandis que les schémas de coloration de la vimentine et du CD117 ont montré une différence statistiquement significative. Aucune différence statistiquement significative n'a été observée entre les schémas de coloration des trois marqueurs et les grades nucléaires des cas de RCC. CONCLUSION: Cette étude a démontré l'utilité de la vimentine et du CD117 pour différencier la variante chromophobe du carcinome à cellules rénales des autres sous-types, tandis que l'EMA a montré une expression variable dans les différents sous-types. Mots-clés: Carcinome à cellules rénales (CCR), antigène membranaire épithélial (EMA), vimentine, C-Kit (tyrosine kinase, CD 117), hématoxyline et éosine (H & E).

Outcome and surgical management of symptomatic renal angiomyolipoma in Ibadan, Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Renal angiomyolipoma is the commonest benign solid kidney neoplasm though rare in clinical practice. The advent of radiological imaging techniques, refinement in surgical approach and techniques and availability of mammalian target of rapamycin have improved the outcome in these cohort of patients. Aim: To report our experience with the surgical management of renal angiomyolipoma in the sub-Saharan Africa. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective review of the records in the operating theatre book of urology division of patients who underwent radical nephrectomy over a 7-year-period (January 2013 to December 2019). The histologically confirmed renal angiomyolipoma information were retrieved from the records in the Department of Pathology. The clinical data were obtained from the patients' case files by identifying the patient with their registration number and not their names. The clinical features, investigations done, treatment offered, and the outcome of management were recorded in an SPSS version 20. The data was analyzed using statistics of central tendency and percentage. Results: Only 3 females with symptomatic renal angiomyolipoma were managed. This represented 4.9% of 61 patients with solid renal masses managed in the study period. The mean age was 51.2 (ranged 40-70) years. The mean tumor size was 18.9 cm. All the patients underwent radical nephrectomy. The pre- and postoperative urea and creatinine remained normal. The median follow-up period was 21 (16.5-30) months and were asymptomatic. Conclusion: The incidence of renal angiomyolipoma among solid renal masses is 4.9% in our environment. Open radical nephrectomy is still the preferred method of treatment with satisfactory outcome.

The Transgender Phenomenon and its Effect on the Practice of Anatomic Pathology: A Futuristic Perspective.

Introduction of the 'Transgender Phenomenon' "Dave King and Richard Ekins are the leading world sociologists in the field of transgender research. They have put together a brilliant synthesis of history, case studies, ideas and positions as they have emerged over the past thirty years, and bring together a rich and grounded account of this field, providing a state of the art of critical concepts and ideas in this field further during the twenty first century."¹ Based on two decades of fieldwork, life history work, qualitative analysis, archival work and contact with several thousand cross-dressers and sex-changers around the world, these researchers have distinguished a number of contemporary Transgendering 'stories'. 'The assignment of an individual as being of the male or female sex is most often based on the phenotypic appearance of the external genitalia at birth, which is largely determined by the chromosomal type (most commonly 46,XX or 46,XY). Gender identity, however, is an individual's perceived or experienced gender, which may or may not be the same as one's sex assigned at birth. The concept of gender identity includes gradations of masculinity to femininity and maleness to femaleness, as well as identification of some individuals as having nonbinary gender, which means being essentially neither male nor female, or a combination of both. Gender nonconformity is behavioral variation in gender expression (e.g., clothing, mannerisms, accessories, and hairstyles) from cultural and societal norms expected for that gender. Sexual orientation is defined as the physical and emotional attraction of an individual to same-sex people (lesbian or gay; homosexual), both same-sex and opposite-sex people (bisexual), or opposite-sex people (heterosexual).² Transgender is an all-inclusive term that may include all individuals whose gender identity or expression does not align with their assigned birth sex and/or those whose gender identity is outside of the binary male/female classification'.².

BILATERAL GANGLIONIC HAEMORRHAGIC STROKE COMPLICATING SUSPECTED MENINGOCOCCAEMIA: A CASE REPORT.

Haemorrhagic stroke in pyogenic meningitis is a rare complication accounting for about 2% of all complications1,2. It often results from disseminated intravascular coagulation, which is a complication of bacterial meningitis and portends a poor prognosis. A superimposed intracranial haemorrhage, although extremely rare, is associated with high mortality rate. We report a child who had haemorrhagic stroke during the acute phase of bacterial meningitis. The diagnosis was made during post mortem examination. It was discovered that she had suffered haemorrhagic necrosis of both basal ganglion nuclei. Early imaging is advised in meningitis patient presenting with altered levels of consciousness to detect cerebrovascular complications.

SECONDARY OVARIAN NEOPLASMS IN A TERTIARY HOSPITAL IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA.

BACKGROUND: The ovary is a common site of involvement for metastases constituting 5-30% of all malignant ovarian neoplasms. Over half of these tumours are bilateral. The commonest sources are stomach, large bowel, appendix, breast, uterus (corpus and cervix) and lung. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the histopathological pattern of metastases to the ovary at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Southwestern Nigeria. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study. All histologically confirmed cases of metastases to the ovary from the records and files of the Department of Pathology, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan between January 1991 and June 2013 were used for the study. These were cases diagnosed following total abdominal hysterectomy, total abdominal hystero-salpingooophorectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, omentectomy, and multiple peritoneal biopsies and post-mortems at the University College Hospital between January 1991 and June 2013. Cases with inadequate clinical data and whose blocks and or slides could not be retrieved were excluded from the study. The data obtained were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. RESULTS: There were 46 cases of metastases to the ovary constituting 5.3% of total ovarian neoplasms. Thirty (63.9%) cases were metastatic carcinomas with the affected patients' age range of 20-79 years, and peak incidence within the age group of 30-39 years. Nineteen out of 30 cases of metastatic carcinomas were from adenocarcinoma of colon, 6 cases were from the gastric carcinoma while the remaining five cases were from the squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Fifteen (31.9%) cases of Burkitt Lymphoma were found with patients with age range of 0-39 years, and the peak age of occurrence at the 2nd decade. The only case of metastatic Malignant Mixed Mullerian Tumour and metastatic Leiomyosarcoma were found in the 3rd and 4th decades of life respectively. CONCLUSION: This study has shown that metastases to the ovary occur in younger age groups in our environment. Therefore this study emphasizes that in young females with ovarian masses, the likelihood of metastatic tumours should not be discarded because, correct and precise diagnosis of secondary ovarian malignancy is critical as it has significant implication on the patients' choice of management and prognosis.

ENDOSCOPIC ASSISTED, TRANSFONTANELLE EXCISION OF A LARGE THIRD VENTRICULAR ATYPICAL CHOROID PLEXUS PAPILLOMA IN AN INFANT.

Choroid plexus papillomas are rare benign tumours, which are found in both adult and paediatric age groups. The 'atypical' histological subclass is rarer still. The commonest site of occurrence is in the lateral ventricles; rare locations are the cerebellopontine angle and the third ventricle. The goal of care is a gross total excision of the tumour. The histologic subtype determines further adjuvant care given to the patient. The outcome of the care of these patients depends on the histological grade, extent of surgical resection adjuvant care. We present a case of a 12 week-old infant with obstructive hydrocephalus, secondary to a third ventricular atypical choroid plexus papilloma. He had a 'two-staged' resection of the choroid plexus papilloma, using an endoscopic access via the right Kocher's point in the right anterior fontanelle, in the same position as that proposed for access in endoscopic third ventriculostomy because of the observed sutural diastasis. Histology confirmed an atypical choroid plexus papilloma. He made progressive recovery post-surgery but unfortunately there has been default with follow-up clinic visits.

CERVICAL LYMPHADENOPATHY IN IBADAN, NIGERIA.

AIM: To determine the pattern and causes of lymph node enlargement of cervical region in Ibadan, Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 10-year (2003-2012) retrospective study was conducted on all head and neck lymph node biopsies received at the Department of Pathology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. RESULTS: A total of 101 lymph node biopsies of cervical region were received within this period of study. 59.4% cases were seen in Males. Second decade of life has the highest number of cases (22.8%) followed by 3rd decade (17.8%). The common cause of cervical lymphadenopathy include non - specific hyperplasia, tumour metastasis and Non Hodgkin's lymphoma seen in 27 (26.7%), 22 (21.8%) and 20 (19.8%) respectively. Granulomatous and Hodgkin's Lymphoma constitute 17 (16.8%) and 11 (10.9%) respectively. The granulomatous causes were all due to tuberculosis. A single case of Rosai-Dorfman disease was seen in a male in the 3rd decade of life. CONCLUSION: This study shows that metastatic tumours, Hodgkins lymphoma and Non Hodgkins lymphoma constituting 52.4% of all cases of cervical lymphadenopathy are common in this environment therefore highlighting the need for early and proper evaluation of patients.

MORPHOLOGICAL PATTERN OF ENDOMETRIAL BIOPSIES IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA.

BACKGROUND: Endometrium remains the most sensitive indicator of ovarian function and endometrial biopsy is one of the diagnostic procedures in endometrial pathology. The current study was carried out to examine the morphological pattern of endometrial biopsies in Ibadan, South-western Nigeria and compare the results with similar studies. METHOD: A retrospective study was undertaken to review all cases of endometrial biopsies received in the Department of Pathology, University College Hospital, Ibadan between January 1999 and December 2008. The patients' data were retrieved from the surgical pathology daybooks and Histology Request forms. The neoplastic lesions were classified according to 2003 World Health Organization classification for endometrial neoplasms. RESULTS: A total of 2,444 cases of endometrial biopsies were received during the 10-year study period. The functional endometrial changes were the most common histopathological diagnostic category, accounting for 53.8% (1035) of cases. Other pathological diagnoses included endometritis (7.8%), simple endometrial hyperplasia (5.8%), partial hydatidiform mole (2.3%), complete hydatidiform mole (2.1%) and malignant neoplastic lesions (3.9%). Infertility was the most common (57%) indication for endometrial biopsies followed by uterine bleeding (33%) while the least common clinical indication were the menstrual disorders (10%). CONCLUSION: The functional endometrial changes account for the highest morphological patterns while malignant lesions account for the least pattern of the endometrial biopsies evaluated for etiological basis of infertility, uterine bleeding and menstrual disorders in Ibadan. Infertility was the commonest indication for endometrial biopsies while the least common clinical indication was menstrual disorders.

Emergency Department Deaths in a Nigerian University Hospital: Deaths Too Many.

OBJECTIVES: We reviewed the demographic pattern and distribution of deaths in the emergency department (ED) of the University College Hospital (UCH) in order to identify gaps in the standard of care, thereby providing evidence for intervention and enhanced research in acute care. METHODS: After obtaining institutional ethics approval, we retrospectively studied all deaths in the ED of UCH from January 1 to December 31, 2011. Data were retrieved from the ED's electronic register. RESULTS: During the 12-month period, a total of 10 728 patients attended the emergency centre and 647 deaths occurred, giving a mortality rate of 6.0%. Male deaths constituted 62% of all deaths. The mean age at death was 44.5 ± 19.1 (range 5 months-92) years. The age group with the highest proportional mortality was 60-69 years (11.4%). Out of all deaths, 295 (45.6%) had alterations of consciousness. Medicine was the specialty with the most deaths (56%), followed by surgery (40%) and lastly, obstetrics and gynaecology (4%). Of the 190 patients that died from trauma, 153 (80.5%) had injury severity score ≥ 15. Most deaths (75.4%) occurred within 24 hours of arrival and the 12-hour night shift had 322 (50%) of the mortalities. Autopsies were carried out in 36 (5.6%) of the 647 deaths. Of the 36 autopsies, 24 (66.7%) were deaths due to medical causes. CONCLUSION: Mortalities within 24 hours of presentation at the ED of UCH remain high. This calls for an efficient pre-hospital care, well-organized emergency transport system, new guidelines, establishment of protocols and regular audit.

Primary ovarian pregnancy mimicking abdominal pregnancy.

The objectives of this study were to emphasise that ectopic pregnancy (EP) can occasionally occur in rare sites such as the ovary, and to show that it may be difficult making the diagnosis clinically and radiologically. It also highlighted the benefit of early surgical intervention in reducing mortality and morbidity from this condition. The case was a 31-year-old nulliparous woman who presented with amenorrhoea of 20 weeks and a 2-month history of lower abdominal pain. Radiological studies suggested abdominal pregnancy coexisting with uterine fibroids for which she had an exploratory laparotomy, which revealed a primary right ovarian pregnancy necessitating the performance of right ovariectomy. Locating the sites of EP may still pose a diagnostic challenge. Despite the benefits and reliability of ultrasound scanning, there will still be situations where the definitive diagnosis can only be confirmed at surgery.

Is the art of renal biopsy on the decline in Nigeria?

BACKGROUND: Renal biopsy remains the means by which definitive parenchymal kidney disease diagnoses are made. With the renal biopsy, the activity, progression and prognosis of renal parenchymal diseases can be studied with objectivity. We investigated the trend of renal histopathology request in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria over 31 years. OBJECTIVE: To determine the trend of renal biopsy requests in one of the biggest tertiary hospitals in Nigeria over a 31-year period (1981- 2011). METHODS: We retrospectively analysed all the renal biopsies submitted to the Department of Pathology, University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, South-West Nigeria over a 30 year period (1981-2011). Trend of requests of all the biopsies submitted from the Surgery, Paediatrics and Medicine departments was analysed using a test for linear trend. Gender and age groups trends were also studied. RESULTS: A significant reduction in the rates of renal biopsy request over the 31-year period (p=0.001) was noted which is attributed to diminution in requests from the Medicine and Paediatrics Departments (p<0.001), while the rates of requests from Surgery Department remain fairly uniform over this period (p=0.05). Decrease in biopsy requests significantly cuts across the ages in both genders. CONCLUSION: Lack of adequately trained manpower, poor health insurance scheme and lack of facilities may be contributory in renal biopsy requests decline. Adequate efforts should be made towards reviving this important investigative modality in Nigerian tertiary hospitals.

Survival of ovarian cancer patients in Ibadan: clinical and pathological factors.

This retrospective cross-sectional study evaluated the applicability of the universal grading system in a selected patient population and compared the results with the FIGO staging. A total of 49 patients who met the inclusion criteria, were studied. The slides were independently examined by two pathologists, using Silverberg's parameters. The prognostic value of their findings was analysed using Kaplan-Meier graphs. Papillary subtype and abnormal nuclear features were the most frequent histological pattern and a younger age was associated with improved survival. The longest surviving patient (250 weeks) had the lowest mitotic activity, predominantly glandular architecture and little or no nuclear pleomorphism, the reverse is the case for the shortest-term survivor (120 weeks). The universal grading system is useful and comparable with the FIGO staging. The two systems are complementary.

Bilateral tubal gestation associated with schistosomiasis in an african woman.

Background. The incidence of tubal ectopic gestation caused by schistosomiasis induced tubal pathology is undocumented in this environment, which may be due to rarity of this pathology. Bilateral tubal gestation is common in patients that have undergone in vitro fertilization. We report a hitherto undocumented case of spontaneous bilateral ectopic gestation following tubal schistosomiasis. Case Report. Mrs. OB was a 32-year-old G4P3(+0) (3 alive) woman who complained of abdominal pain and bleeding per vaginam of 4 and 2 days' duration respectively following 8 weeks of amenorrhea. A clinical impression of ruptured ectopic gestation was confirmed by ultrasound scanning. She had bilateral salpingectomy with histology of specimens showing bilateral ectopic gestation with Schistosoma haematobium induced salpingitis (findings of Schistosoma haematobium ova noted on slide). Conclusion. Schistosoma induced salpingitis is a rare but possible cause of bilateral tubal gestation.

CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic lung biopsy: first experience in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Percutaneous lung biopsy had been described in the nineteenth century by Leyden, but image- guided needle chest biopsy only gained widespread acceptance in the 1970s. Currently, tissue sampling of a thoracic lesion is indicated when the diagnosis cannot be obtained by the non-invasive techniques and cytological diagnosis will modify the stage of the disease or influence the therapeutic strategy. Cytology obtained by small-gauge needle aspiration biopsy confirms the nature of the lesion in 80 - 95% of cases and carry a low incidence of major complications. The purpose of this report was to provide information on our first experience with CT-guided biopsy and show that with some innovativeness much can be achieve with limited resources and good team work. We performed a CT of the thorax using appropriately placed improvised metal markers, which determined the optimal cutaneous entry point. We then re-checked the location of the lesion scanning intermittently at 5mm slice thickness; we marked the entry point with a pen and cleaned the surface with methylated spirit. A local anaesthetic was subcutaneously injected around marked area. We used a 21G aspiration needle to obtain cytology sample then 18G Trucut biopsy needle to obtain histology specimen. The length of the needle was chosen based on predetermined distance of the target lesion from the skin estimated from the CT images. Our patient was a 51-year-old Nigerian female with a peripherally located nodule in the posterior aspect of the right lung. She had CT-guided biopsy of the nodule. The procedure was well tolerated with no complication of pneumothorax. The histology report provided the basis for treatment regimen. Our experience indicates that percutaneous transthoracic CT-guided needle biopsy is feasible and a safe procedure in our hospital for evaluation of undetermined lung lesions.

Renal cell carcinoma in Ibadan: a 5-year clinicopathologic review.

BACKGROUND: To review all the cases of the patients with renal cell carcinoma seen during the study period and to determine the pattern of presentation, number of operable cases, histological types and outcome of treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data of the patients with renal cell carcinoma was retrieved from the Urology division audit book, theatre record books and case files from the health records department and pathology register in the department of pathology. The parameters studied were age, gender, pattern of presentation, number of patients who had surgery, histology types and the outcome of treatment. RESULTS: In total, there were 69 patients with renal cell carcinoma that accounted for 59.5% of all renal masses seen. The male to female ratio was 1:1. Their age ranged from 16 to 88 with a mean of 48 years and median of 50 years. The main clinical feature was loin swelling (100%) and others were loin pain (29%), hematuria (18.8%), weight loss (4%) and paraneoplastic syndrome (anaemia without haematuria) was seen in 2.9%. Ten percent of the cases had the classical triad of hematuria, loin pain and loin swelling. All cases were unilateral disease and 15 (21.7%) had metastasis at presentation. The pre-operative tests were abdominal ultrasound (94%), intravenous urography (45%) and CT-Scan (11.6%). Twenty eight patients (40.6%) had surgery of which 5 were unresectable. 37 of the patients (53.6%) were subsequently lost to follow-up. The 28 operative specimens were histologically confirmed and 85.7% were clear cell carcinoma. The 23 patients whose tumours were resected have remained symptom free, some up to 5 years. However the five patients with unresectable tumours died between 3 to 6 months of exploratory surgery. CONCLUSION: The patients with resectable tumour could remain disease free for a significant period afterwards despite late presentation. However, there is a high loss to follow-up rate.

Diagnostic value of lipids, total antioxidants, and trace metals in benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Considerable overlap exists in the value of total prostate specific antigen (tPSA) in both prostate cancer (Pca) and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Developing an effective biochemical screening test that will complement PSA assay could reduce the associated cost of care and give timely attention to prostate cancer patients even when they are still asymptomatic is therefore desirable. This work was therefore an attempt to evaluate the possible roles of lipids, antioxidants, and trace metals in breaking the diagnostic tie between Pca and BPH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anthropometric characteristics, total prostate specific antigen (tPSA), serum lipids (total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides), Vit. E, total antioxidant status (TAS), and trace metals (Se, Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn) were determined in 40 patients with histopathological diagnosis of BPH and Pca. Forty age matched control subjects were also recruited from the same community. Informed consent was obtained from all the participants in the study. A P-value < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: There were significant variations in the weight, hip circumference, and body mass index (BMI) across the group but the post hoc test did not show any difference between patients with prostate cancer and BPH. Among the biochemical parameters studied, only the total cholesterol and triglyceride differed significantly between patients with BPH and prostate cancer patients. Cut-offs from ROC for BPH and prostate cancer at 88.9 sensitivity and 66.7% specificity (95% CI) were 88.5 mg and 161 mg/dl for triglycerides and cholesterol respectively. Furthermore there were no significant variations in the mean levels of copper and tPSA, Vit E, and LDL cholesterol among the study subjects and the controls. CONCLUSION: Prior to prostate biopsy, serum lipid (especially, fasting triglycerides, total cholesterol) could help in early discrimination of patients with BPH from prostate cancer in adjunct to total PSA and other management protocol for diagnosis of prostate cancer. The use of trace metal or antioxidants may have limited advantages. Further studies in this regard will be very desirable to see if this pattern of triglyceride and total cholesterol values in BPH and Pca are sustainable.

Low field MR imaging of sellar and parasellar lesions: experience in a developing country hospital.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), an advancement which followed computed tomography (CT) is expensive and inaccessible in most developing countries. However it is the procedure of choice in evaluating sellar and parasellar lesions. Its major advantages are its superior soft tissue contrast differentiation, its capacity for multiplanar imaging and nonexistence of ionising radiation. Its use is relatively new in Nigeria, a developing economy in Africa. Since its introduction in 2005, it has been utilised extensively for neuroimaging at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan; a large hospital in south-western Nigeria. OBJECTIVE: To review the role and pattern of low field MR Imaging in sellar and parasellar lesions presenting to a tertiary care centre in Nigeria. METHODS: All 62 patients with clinically suspected sellar and parasellar masses, referred to the Department of Radiology, UCH Ibadan for MRI between December 2006 and January 2010 were retrospectively analysed. The examinations were performed using an open 0.2T permanent magnet MR unit. T1W, T2W, T2/FLAIR, TOF and T1W post gadolinium DTPA sequences of the sellar region were obtained. RESULTS: Of the 62 patients, there were 27 males and 35 females. The modal age group was 40-49 years with a mean age of 39.94 years (±16.65 years). Twenty-four cases (38.7%) had histological diagnosis, of which 20 (83.3%) were consistent with initial MRI diagnosis. Pituitary adenomas were the commonest (58.06%) lesions of the sellar and parasellar regions. Others include parasellar meningiomas, cranipharyngiomas, and giant aneurysms. Headache and visual impairment were the major presenting features and showed no significant correlation with tumour size. CONCLUSION: The use of low field MRI in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with suspected sellar or parasellar lesions in developing countries of low economic resource is commendable as it provides beneficial outcomes in management.

End-stage renal disease in Nigeria: an overview of the epidemiology and the pathogenetic mechanisms.

There is paucity of information on the magnitude of the burden of renal disease in our environment. Obtaining accurate data is hampered by the poor socioeconomic status of most patients with lack of access to specialized care in tertiary institutions, where most of the data is generated. The incidence of chronic renal failure (CRF) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in any specified area is known to be influenced by the prevalence of specific disease entities resulting in CRF. Hypertension, glomerulonephritis (GN), sickle cell disease, quartan malaria nephropathy, urinary tract schistosomiasis and other parasite-related forms of chronic GN are known to contribute significantly to the incidence of CRF in Nigeria. As is the situation in other parts of the world, diabetic nephropathy appears to be of increasing importance in the causation of ESRD in Nigeria. Even though the underlying cause of renal disease can often not be treated, extensive studies in experimental animals and preliminary studies in humans suggest that progression in chronic renal disease may largely be due to secondary factors, attention to which may be important in the prevention and/or control of renal disease.

Preventable trauma deaths in Ibadan: a comparison of revised trauma score and panel review.

BACKGROUND: The proportion of preventable trauma-related deaths may be a reflection of the quality of trauma care in a health institution. OBJECTIVE: To classify mortality in trauma patients in the emergency room and to determine the proportion of preventable trauma related mortality in a teaching hospital. METHODS: The records of patients who died in the emergency room following trauma from January 1996 to December 2005 were reviewed. Data extracted from the patients' records included the demographics, the mechanism of injury; and the duration of injury prior to presentation. The Probability of Survival (Ps) was calculated for each patient using the Revised Trauma Score (RTS). The RTS includes three physiologic parameters namely the Glasgow Coma Score [GCS], systolic blood pressure and respiratory rate which were recorded soon after the patient' presentation at the emergency department. RESULTS: There were 286 patients who died following trauma from January 1996 to December 2006. There was a male: female ratio of 3.4:1. Eighty-one percent were preventable deaths based on the revised trauma score while the panel review considered approximately 22% as preventable. Fifty-nine percent or 168 of the patients arrived in the hospital within six hours of sustaining injury. CONCLUSION: Despite access to emergency care within the first six hours (golden hours) the overall survival of our trauma patients is poor. The severity of the injuries, inadequate resuscitation, and missed injuries by medical personal are some of the factors associated with poor outcome of trauma care.

Outcome of one hundred and forty-nine consecutive breast biopsies in Ibadan, Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: To study the outcomes of one hundred and forty nine consecutive breast biopsies in both male and female patients in one arm of the general surgery division of the department of surgery, university college hospital Ibadan. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective study of the case files and histopathology reports of 149 patients who had biopsies of the breast from May 1996 to September 2004. RESULTS: The study showed that below the age of 30 years, there was no malignancy detected in 85 breast biopsies, however as the age increased it was seen that less than one out of four biopsies were malignant when the patients were aged between 31 and 40 years, rising to one out of four biopsies for the 41-50 and 51-60 age-groups. The 61-70 yielded roughly one out of three whilst two out of three breast biopsies were malignant in the 71-80 age-groups. CONCLUSIONS: Majority of breast lumps are benign and women have a probability of one chance in 10 that their biopsies may be malignant. However under 30 years this is unlikely. Above the age of 40 years the chance of malignancy rises to a one in four which will strongly support screening methods for women above 40 years. For record purposes, fibroadenoma is still the most common breast lesion in women under 30 years and invasive ductal carcinoma is the most common histopathological type of breast cancer in Ibadan, Nigeria.