Masses in the Neck: A Histopathological Analysis of 213 Cases In South Eastern, Nigeria

Abstract

Fifty nine percent of the neck masses in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria are caused by lymphoid tissues. Thyroid masses and congenital cysts account for the remaining 41%. Under the age of 20, malignant lymphomas (particularly Hodgkin's disease) are common while those aged over 20 years, metastatic tumors are more frequent. Malignancies account for 25% of neck masses diagnosed histologically. Childhood tuberculosis remains the commonest cause of lymphadenopathy in this age group. 9% of patients with neck swellings in their adolescent and early adulthood suffered from tuberculosis. The reason for this unusual presentation in an area of high prevalence rate of tuberculosis is not clear and is worthy of further investigation. It may well represent an upsurge of the fatal human immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV) infection in its prodromal stage. Goitres and adenomas still remain the exclusive diseases of he adult females while in males malignant thyroid epithelial tumors are more common than benign tumors. Non-specific reactive lymphoid changes are not as common as earlier reported in Ibadan. This original study from South Eastern Nigeria hopes to be of both clinical and epidemiological relevance in patient management.


Key Words: Neck swellings, Histopathology, Diagnosis.


[Mary Slessor Jnl of Medicine Vol.3(1) 2003: 81-85]