TESTICULAR ADNEXAL MESENCHYMAL TUMOURS IN IBADAN, NIGERIA: HISTOPATHOLOGIC SPECTRUM AND CHARACTERISTICS

Most testicular adnexal tumours are mesenchymal in origin and have a high tendency to be malignant. An earlier study from our centre found 10 cases, all malignant. The present study reviewed and updated testicular adnexal mesenchymal tumours diagnosed at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.

To document the histopathologic spectrum and characteristics of testicular adnexal mesenchymal tumours diagnosed in our centre over a 20 year period and to compare these with earlier studies from our center and other parts of the world.

This was a descriptive retrospective study.

This study was carried out at the Departments of Pathology and Surgery (Urology Division), University of Ibadan/ University College Hospital, Ibadan Nigeria.

All testicular adnexal mesenchymal tumours from the files and records of the Department of Pathology, University College Hospital Ibadan from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 2016 were reviewed. Age, tumour size and histopathologic diagnosis were retrieved. The tumours were re-evaluated, immunohistochemistry was applied where appropriate and the tumours were reclassified histologically using the 2016 World Health Organisation classification of mesenchymal tumours of the spermatic cord and testicular adnexa. Descriptive statistics was applied on the data generated using SPSS version 20.

Twenty-one cases of testicular adnexal mesenchymal tumours were found over the study period. Three (14.3%) were benign and comprised one case each of lipoma, leiomyoma, and fibrous pseudotumour. The remaining 18 (85.7%) cases were malignant. Rhabdomyosarcoma was the commonest tumour seen accounting for 12 (66.7%) of all the sarcomas followed by liposarcoma 3(16.7%). A case each of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour, fibrosarcoma and giant cell sarcoma were also documented. The overall mean age of the patients was 25.8±15.2 years with a range of 7-71 years, while the mean age of the patients with rhabdomyosarcoma was 22.0±8.7 years (8-42 years).

The outcome of this study suggests that the incidence of sarcomas of the testicular adnexa might be on the rise compared to previous report from our centre.