Histopathological and histochemical patterns of soft tissue sarcomas in Ilorin, Nigeria

This research was carried out on soft tissue sarcomas processed in the Department of Pathology of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital over a period of 18 years (1979-1996). Tumours in which pathognomonic features necessary for diagnosis were present on haematoxylin and eosin sections were diagnosed accordingly while special stains were employed to highlight characteristic features of some other tumours. Also a panel of special stains was performed on the poorly differentiated tumours. The three commonest tumours were fibrosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and liposarcoma in decreasing order of frequency. Fibrosarcoma and leiomyosarcoma were commonest in middle age while rhabdomyosarcoma was commonest in childhood and early adult life. There was a male preponderance of the tumours with a male to female ratio of 1.3:1. With the use of special stains, typical diagnostic histological characteristics were found in 3 out of the 13 tumours initially diagnosed as poorly differentiated thereby reducing their number to 10. Plans are underway to do immunohistochemical studies and chromosomal analysis on the tumours through collaborative studies.