Histopathological pattern of renal cell carcinoma in Ibadan

There has been a paucity of Nigerian studies on renal cell carcinomas (RCC). This retrospective review analyzes cases of RCC diagnosed in the University College Hospital, Ibadan from January 1960 to June 2007. Cases were typed using the 2004 World Health Organization classification of renal tumours. Papillary RCC were further grouped into Type 1 or 2 and Fuhrman's nuclear grade was determined for clear cell and papillary RCC. There were 159 cases, 108 being females, with a male to female ratio of 1:2.1. Peak age of occurrence was in the fourth decade. The right kidney was more commonly affected (58.6%). Papillary RCC was the most common variant accounting for 27 of the 62 cases that were available for review. Six (22.2%) of the 27 papillary RCC had the distinctive histological features that have been associated with Xp 11 translocation carcinoma. All 27 cases of papillary RCC were Type 2. Twenty-one (61.8%) RCC were Fuhrman's nuclear grade 1 and 2. Renal cell carcinoma in Ibadan occurs two decades earlier than in Caucasians. Papillary RCC is the most common histological sub type of RCC in Ibadan, and Xp translocation carcinomas may be more common in this environment than earlier described in America. This is in contrast to the observation that clear cell carcinomas is the most common histological sub type of RCC in Caucasians series.