Leukaemia in adult Ethiopians

The pattern of leukaemias in adult Ethiopians admitted to Tikur Anbessa (Black Lion) Hospital, a teaching and referral hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from January 1982 to December 1987 [corrected] is analyzed. There were a total of 7969 medical admissions, of which 180 (2.3%) were for leukaemia. The age range was 14 to 80 years, with a mean of 37.6 years. The male:female ratio was 2.3:1. The commonest type of leukaemia was chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) 57.8%, acute leukaemias and chronic lymphatic leukaemia (CLL) accounted for 21.1% each. Of the acute leukaemias, 53.3% were lymphoblastic (ALL) while 46.7% were acute myeloblastic (AML). Most patients came from Addis Ababa (30.6%) and Shoa (28.9%) regions. The overall incidence of leukaemia in Addis Ababa population was estimated at 1.95 +/- 0.79/100,000/year at 95% confidence interval. The purpose of this study is to attempt a detailed description of leukaemias in Ethiopian patients and compare the findings with similar studies from other countries. Leukaemias are commoner than previously thought, and warrant further study in the community so that management, especially of acute forms, can be improved.