A five-year clinicopatliological review of uterine leiomyomata in Gonibe, Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract Background and objectives: Uterine leiomyomata are benign tumours of smooth muscle origin with protean symptomatology, and are the most common gynaecological tumour in women of reproductive age. This study aims at documenting the clinicopatliological features of leiomyomata in Gombe. North-eastern Nigeria. Materials and methods: Cases were identified from the diagnosis register of the Department of Histopathology of the Federal Medical Centre. Gombe, Nigeria between 2000 and 2005. The request forms, slides and tissue blocks were retrieved. The tissues were previously fixed in 10% formol saline and the slides stained with haematoxylin and eosin. The cases were diagnosed based on standard diagnostic criteria. Results: The age range was 20-54 years with the highest number of cases (76.1%) occurring between 25-39 years. Ninety-four (64.5%) cases had myomectomy while 52 (35.5%) had hysterectomy. Over 52% of patients with uterine fibroids were nulliparous. while 23.7% and 13.6% were within the parity 1-2 and 3-4 respectively. The commonest presenting clinical feature was low abdominal swelling in 63.4% of cases. Other clinical features were monorrhagia (48.2%>), infertility (47.3%) and recurrent abortions (3.6%). The following degenerative changes were encountered; hyaline change (50.6%), cystic change (6.8%) dystrophic calcification (6.2%), myxoid degeneration (4.1%), and necrosis (2.1%). Fibroids were associated with adenomyosis in 48 (32.9%) of cases. Cellular leiomvomata were seen in three (2.1%) cases while there was only one (0.7%) case of atypical leiomyoma. Conclusion: Uterine leiomyoma has been shown to be a common problem in this environment occurring predominantly in nulliparous women and presenting mainly with abdominal swelling and menorrhagia with hyaline change as the commonest degenerative change.