A Clinico-Pathological Study of Vulvo-Vaginal Disease at a Nigerian Tertiary Health Facility

The vulva and vagina are of great significance to womanhood owing to the myriads of specialized functions they perform. The diseases of this organ have physical, social, mental, and psychological ramifications. The aim of this work is to study the pathological pattern and clinical presentation of diseases of the vulva and vagina at the Department of Anatomical Pathology and Forensic Medicine of the Jos University Teaching Hospital between 1st January 2011 and December 31st, 2020.

This study is descriptive of all cases of histologically diagnosed vulval and vaginal lesions seen at the Center. Histological diagnosis, biodata, and clinical information of patients were retrieved from the medical records. Data realized were analyzed and presented in tables as simple frequencies, percentages, ranges, and measures of central tendencies.

Two hundred and fifteen vulval and vaginal biopsies were included in the study. Squamous cell carcinoma was the commonest histologically diagnosed lesion accounting for 70(32.6%) cases of all lesions and 77.8% of all malignancies. The second commonest lesion and the most frequent benign pathology is the Condyloma acuminatum (viral warts) which accounted for 41(19.1%) cases. The age bracket 20 to 59 years constituted 79.5% of cases (171 cases). The age range, mean, median, and mode in years were 5.0-85.0, 39.5+15.9, 38.0, and 50.0 respectively.

Squamous cell carcinoma and veneral warts are the commonest lesions of the vulva and vagina in our environment. Robust vaccination programs against the etiological agent, the human papilloma virus is highly recommended.