Lymphomas in University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria

The authors reviewed 508 cases of lymphoma seen during a 16-year period in University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Hodgkin's disease was diagnosed in 95 (18.6%) patients, of which 45% had mixed cellularity type; 19%, lymphocyte predominance; 18%, nodular sclerosis; and 18%, lymphocyte depletion. The age distribution showed a single mode in the 11 to 25-year-old group. Male preponderance was more marked in children who made up 32% of the Hodgkin's disease patients. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma occurred in 413 cases, of which 296 (71.7%) were high-grade malignancies. Burkitt's tumor occurred in 211 (41.5%) patients, 95% of whom were children, and showed a male to female ratio of 1.7:1. Compared with previous findings in this hospital, Hodgkin's disease showed increased proportions of the lymphocyte predominant and nodular sclerosing types. However, the characteristics of Burkitt's lymphoma did not change appreciably in the last three decades.