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Causes of cervical lymphadenopathy at Kamuzu Central Hospital

C Mabedi1, C Kendig2, G Liomba3

  • 1University of Malawi, Department of Surgery, Kamuzu Central Hospital, Lilongwe, Malawi.

Malawi Medical Journal : the Journal of Medical Association of Malawi
|June 25, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Cervical lymphadenopathy in Malawi is now more commonly caused by malignancy than tuberculosis (TB). Early biopsy or fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is recommended for timely diagnosis and treatment of cancers.

Area of Science:

  • Pathology
  • Oncology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Cervical lymphadenopathy evaluation presents diagnostic challenges.
  • Previous studies at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) identified tuberculosis (TB) as the primary cause.
  • No recent data exists on cervical lymphadenopathy causes in Malawi since the HIV epidemic and antiretroviral therapy scale-up.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the pathologic causes of cervical lymphadenopathy at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH).
  • To update the understanding of cervical lymphadenopathy etiology in Malawi.
  • To compare current findings with previous studies, considering the impact of HIV and ART.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study was conducted on cervical lymph node specimens at KCH.
  • Data was collected from July 2011 to February 2013.
  • Patient demographics (age, gender) and pathologic diagnoses were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • 179 cases were identified, with 143 histologic and 34 cytology specimens.
  • The mean age of patients was 30 years (range 0-76).
  • Malignancy was the leading diagnosis in adults (35%), while children had equal rates of malignancy and benign masses. Tuberculosis (TB) was diagnosed in only 5% of adults and 6% of children.

Conclusions:

  • Malignancy is now more prevalent than TB in cervical lymphadenopathy cases at KCH.
  • A significant decrease in TB diagnoses was observed compared to prior studies.
  • Early biopsy or fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is recommended for prompt diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancers.
Abstract

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