Journal des biomarqueurs moléculaires et du diagnostic

Descriptive Epidemiology of the Clinico-Pathologic Profile of Orofacial Sarcomas: A Retrospective Study of 52 Cases Seen in a Nigerian Tertiary Health Institution

Abstract

Dickson Sopuru Okoh, Felix Osawe Omoregie, Mercy Okoh and Mike Akin Ojo

Background: In our environment, the clinico-pathologic profile of orofacial sarcomas has not been fully assessed.
Objective: To determine the clinico-pathologic profile of orofacial sarcomas seen in a Nigerian tertiary health institution in the south-south geopolitical zone.
Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study from the archives of histopathologic records of the department of Oral Pathology and Medicine, University of Benin Teaching hospital within a 25 year period (1990 to 2014). Cases histopathologically diagnosed as sarcomas of the orofacial region were reviewed and analyzed based on their age, gender, site and histopathological pattern.
Results: There were 285 (18.7%) cases diagnosed as malignant lesions which consist of 52 (18.2%) sarcomas. The age range was 3 to 82 years with mean age of 30.2 ± 20.3. There was equal gender distribution. The highest occurrence was in the second decade (n=14, 26.9%). The mandible was the most common site. The most common sarcoma was Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (n=21, 40.4%) while the least common was Fibrosarcoma.
Conclusion: This study shows that orofacial sarcomas are relatively rare in our environment occurring mostly in the younger age with no gender predilection. Malignant fibrous histiocytoma was the predominant histopathological diagnosis.