A prospective epidemiological study on odontogenic tumours in a black African population, with emphasis on the relative frequency of ameloblastoma.

The persistent view in the literature is that the relative frequency of ameloblastomas is higher in the black population than in Caucasians. The aim of this study was to determine the relative frequency of all odontogenic tumours (OT) in a 100% black population and to compare our findings with those of previous studies. A prospective study was undertaken of all patients presenting with OT to all 16 Nigerian departments of oral and maxillofacial surgery over a 4-year period. The following data were obtained: patient demographics, delay to presentation, extent of the lesion, and histological diagnosis. Six hundred and twenty-two cases were studied. A slight male preponderance was observed (male to female ratio 1.17:1). Patients ranged in age from 5 to 89 years, with a peak incidence in the third decade. The relative frequency of OT was 0.99 per million and that of ameloblastoma was 0.76 per million. Ameloblastoma was the most prevalent OT (76.5%), followed by adenomatoid odontogenic tumours (5.6%), odontogenic myxoma (4.5%), and keratocystic odontogenic tumours (KCOT) (3.1%). The relative frequency of ameloblastoma among Nigerians was not different from frequencies reported previously among Caucasian and Tanzanian black populations. KCOTs were, however, rarely diagnosed in Nigerians as compared to the white population in the Western world.

Aggressive angiomyxoma in African women: a report of two cases.

BACKGROUND: Aggressive angiomyxoma (AAM) is a rare soft tissue tumour usually of the perineum. There is no report in the surgical literature of a description of AAM in black Africans. OBJECTIVE: To report the first description of AAM in black Africa women in the surgical literature and to highlight the value of special immunostains in the complete characterization these rare tumours. METHODS: Case one was a 38-year-old pre-menopausal woman who presented with a five-year history of a painless mass in the left buttock extending to the left side of the perineum with recent ulceration. Clinical examination revealed a pale and febrile woman with an ulcerated 60 x 40 cm mass distorting the left gluteal region and the left side of the perineum. In case two, a 28-year old woman reported for the assessment of pedunculated mass arising from the right labium major that has been present for four years. Clinical examination revealed a 19 x 15.5 cm well-circumscribed mass in the perineum. The mass was completely covered by thickened hairy skin and attached to the right labium majored by a short thick stalk that measured 5 cm x 7 cm in size. Both tumours were excised via incisions in the perineum. RESULTS: In both cases the histopathology of the surgical specimens was reported as bland hypocellular tumours with spindle and stellate cells that lacked mitotic activity consistent with a diagnosis of an aggressive angiomyxoma. CONCLUSION: The clinical and histopathological features of the tumours described in this report are consistent with a diagnosis of aggressive angiomyxoma. To the best of our knowledge this is the first ever report of AAM in black African women.