ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Histological study of retinoblastoma: cellular differentiation, optic nerve and choroidal involvement. DESIGN: Series of specimens examined in the Pathology laboratory. SETTING: Department of Pathology, Mbarara University Teaching Hospital (MUTH) and Ruharo Eye Centre, Mbarara. SUBJECTS: 32 eye specimens. RESULTS: 31 specimens consisted of poorly differentiated tumours and one specimen had a well differentiated retinoblastoma showing Flexner-Wintersteiner rosettes. Fifteen out of 25 specimens with optic nerves showed both choroid and optic nerve invasion. In 10 eye specimens, the optic nerves and choroid were free of tumour. In the remaining seven specimens, the optic nerves were not submitted with the enucleated specimens and there was no choroidal involvement on histology. CONCLUSION: This review supports findings from previous studies done in Africa which indicated that poorly differentiated retinoblastoma is more common among African children than well differentiated retinoblastoma.
Subject(s)
Retinal Neoplasms/pathology , Retinoblastoma/pathology , Aftercare , Biopsy , Black People , Child, Preschool , Eye Enucleation , Female , Hospitals, University , Humans , Infant , Male , Photomicrography , Population Surveillance , Prognosis , Retinal Neoplasms/epidemiology , Retinal Neoplasms/surgery , Retinoblastoma/epidemiology , Retinoblastoma/surgery , Risk Factors , Uganda/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Primary hepatocellular carcinoma rarely metastasizes to the orbit. We report a 19-year-old black man from Zimbabwe who had hepatomegaly and an orbital mass. An orbital biopsy suggested a diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Immunohistochemical stains supported the diagnosis. To our knowledge, this is only the second reported case of hepatocellular carcinoma metastasizing to the orbit and the first such reported case from Africa.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/secondary , Liver Neoplasms/pathology , Orbital Neoplasms/secondary , Adult , Humans , Male , ZimbabweABSTRACT
An ophthalmic assessment survey of 430 students in Zimbabwe's two schools for the blind was conducted in 1988. Bilateral corneal opacity was found to be responsible for 75% of all blindness among institutionalised blind students. Thirteen per cent of the study patients could gain improved vision through either ocular surgical intervention or spectacle correction. Findings in this survey are similar to those from other schools for the blind elsewhere in Africa.
Subject(s)
Blindness/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Blindness/etiology , Blindness/physiopathology , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Institutionalization , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Refractive Errors , Visual Acuity , Zimbabwe/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Prevalence rates of childhood blindness and infant and childhood mortality in Africa are the highest in the world. Major factors contributing to these high rates are similar for both blindness and mortality: malnutrition, measles and other acute febrile infections, malnutrition with xerophthalmia, and limited or poor access to preventive and curative health services. Because of high national growth rates, stagnant economies, and the failure of national health care systems to expand with rapidly growing populations, childhood blindness in Africa likely will remain a significant international public health problem for the foreseeable future.
