Analyses of haematological malignancies records from University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria (1983 - 2008)

Abstract

A 25 year retrospective analysis of haematological malignancies in Calabar, Nigeria was carried out based on data from the Haematology Record Registers and Records Department of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital. The aim was to provide information on haematological malignancies in the study area and compare these with previous reports from other parts of Nigeria and worldwide. A total of 347 cases of haematological malignancies were diagnosed within the study period (January 1983 - December 2008) using conventional morphological examination of peripheral blood and bone marrow smears stained with Leishman and May-Grunwald-Giemsa stains. Distribution of the cases was studied based on age, sex and the type of malignancy. The most common haematological malignancy found was Leukaemia (35.2%), followed by Burkitt’s lymphoma (28.5%), Hodgkins/non-Hodgkins disease (26.8%), non-leukaemic myeloproliferative disease (5.2%) and multiple myeloma (4.3%). The malignancies were seen to be distributed throughout all ages. An overall male preponderance with an M: F ratio of 2:1. Burkitt’s lymphoma was the most common haematological malignancy in age group 0 - 20 years, while multiple myeloma was the commonest type in 41 - 60 age groups. The work has shown that leukaemia is the commonest type of haematological malignancy seen in all age groups in this locality.

Keywords: Haematology, malignancy, Burkitt’s lymphoma, leukaemia, Hodgkins disease, myeloma