Germ Cell Tumours in Children: A Twenty-year Retrospective Study (January 1988 - December 2007) in Ibadan, South-West Nigeria

Abstract

Background: There is a significant lack of studies of germ cell neoplasms in the paediatric age group from Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the histological pattern of paediatric germ cell tumours in Ibadan, Nigeria.
Method: This is a retrospective study of cases of germ cell neoplasms histologically diagnosed at the Department of Pathology, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan between January 1988 and December 2007 among children aged 0-14 years. Haematoxylin and eosin stained slides were reviewed and where necessary, the paraffin blocks were recut and stained. The World Health Organization Histological Classification of paediatric germ cell tumours of 2004 was used in this study.
Result: Paediatric germ cell tumours comprised 0.05% of all surgical pathology specimens in the study period. There were 10 (25.6%) male and 29 (73.4%) female patients, giving a male to female gender ratio of 1:2.9. Extragonadal germ cell tumours constituted 25 (64.1%) and gonadal germ cell tumours 14 (35.9%) cases. Benign neoplasms accounted for 26 (66.7%) and malignant neoplasms accounted for 13 (33.3%) cases. Thirty-one (79.5%) of the 39 cases were teratomas, 7 (17.9%) were yolk sac tumours and one (2.6%) was a mixed germ cell tumour. The most common sites were the ovary (33.3%), sacrococcygeal region (20.5%) and neck (10.3%). There was a bimodal age distribution, with a first peak in infancy and a second peak between >5-10 years of age.
Conclusion: In view of the paucity of studies on germ cell tumours from Nigeria and other parts of Africa, further studies of this unique group of neoplasms are required in order to validate the findings of this study.

Keywords: Germ cell tumours, Children, Pathology, Nigeria.