Histopathological Pattern of Childhood Solid Tumours in Ilorin: A 28-Year Retrospective Review

Background: Cancers and other non-communicable diseases were thought to be unimportant public health problems in developing countries because of the overwhelmingly high prevalence of communicable diseases. However, with improved health care facilities and extensive national immunization programmes, coupled with generally improving socio-economic status, malignant diseases are beginning to account for a significant percentage of childhood morbidity and mortality. The study aims to determine the morphological pattern, burden and demographic characteristics of paediatric solid malignancies seen at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital between January 1979 and December 2006. Methodology: The demographic characteristics of all cases of malignant solid neoplasms seen in children between the ages of 0 and 15 years were retrieved from the archives and recorded. The histopathological, cytological and the post-mortem slides of the recorded cases were retrieved and reviewed. Special staining techniques were employed where necessary. Results: Three hundred and twenty four cases of childhood solid malignant neoplasms were diagnosed over the study period. The prevalence of childhood malignant solid tumours in Ilorin is 311 per million children. The commonest tumour in this study is lymphoma representing 55.56% of total paediatric malignant solid neoplasms seen. Burkitt’s lymphoma constituted the largest single entity (80% of all lymphomas). This was followed by nephroblastoma, retinoblastoma and bone tumours which accounted for 8.33%, 7.72% and 4.63% respectively. Intracranial tumours were relatively rare. Conclusion: The pattern of paediatric malignant solid neoplasms seen in Ilorin is similar to what obtains in other parts of Nigeria and African countries. Burkitt’s Lymphoma is the commonest childhood malignancy in this study. Nephroblastoma is the second commonest childhood malignant solid neoplasm in Ilorin as against what was observed in other centres such as Ibadan, Ife and Jos where retinoblastoma is the second commonest after lymphoma.