Histopathology of ocular tumor specimens in benin city, Nigeria

To determine the histopathological diagnosis of ocular tumor specimens and to assess their correlation with preoperative clinical diagnosis.

Surgical records of all patients who had undergone ocular surgery yielding a tissue specimen at the ophthalmology department of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria, from March 1999 to February 2007 were extracted. Parameters included age, sex, preoperative clinical diagnosis, type of surgery, and histopathological diagnosis.

Overall, 148 patients including 88 male (59.5%) and 60 female (40.5%) subjects were operated during the study period. The most prevalent histopathological diagnoses included squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the conjunctiva and eyelids (16.9%), pterygium (12.2%) and retinoblastoma (10.8%). Excisional conjunctival biopsies were performed in 30 cases to rule out SCC which was confirmed in 16 cases (53.3%). Enucleation was performed in 19 children with suspicion of intraocular malignancy of whom 16 had retinoblastoma and one had teratoid medulloblastoma; yielding a correct clinical diagnosis in 89.5% of cases. Of 24 cases of enucleation in adults, the preoperative diagnosis was confirmed by histology in 21 cases (87.5%). The preoperative diagnosis was confirmed histologically in 8 cases (53.3%) of 15 orbital specimens and 11 cases (50%) of 22 eyelid samples.

The most common ophthalmic malignancies were SCC of the conjunctiva and eyelids, and retinoblastoma. Clinicopathological correlation was lowest in eyelid lesions and highest in enucleation specimens.