Ameloblastic carcinoma: Report of a case

Ameloblastic carcinoma is a rare epithelial odontogenic tumour of the jaws which exhibits cytological features of ameloblastoma and carcinoma. A case of ameloblastic carcinoma in a 52 year old male is reported. Clinical / histological characteristics of this tumour and current knowledge on the classification of odontogenic malignancies are discussed. The importance of including ameloblastic carcinoma in the differential diagnosis of persistent jaw swellings associated with toothache or mobility of teeth or failure of healing of extraction sockets is emphasized. Nigerian Journal of Surgical Research Vol. 7(1&2) 2005: 222-22

Pattern of cutaneous malignant melanoma in Zaria, Nigeria

Background: Twenty percent of the world's melanoma is seen in Black Africans and Asians. Melanoma in Nigerians would appear to be arising from existing epidermal melanocytes and not from preexisting naevus cells. Methods: All diagnosed cases of cutaneous malignant melanoma in the Department of Pathology Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria over a ten-year study period (1991-2000) were reviewed. The age, sex and anatomical site of the lesion were obtained from the request forms. The histopathological patterns of distribution, presence of dark brown melanin pigments, nucleolar appearance and Clark's histological grading were studied. The data was analysed and tabulated into frequency tables. Results: Fifty four cases of cutaneous malignant melanoma were reviewed. The over all male: female sex ratio was 1.3:1.0 with a wide age distribution from the second to seventh decades and two peaks in fifth and sixth decades. The foot and lower limbs were the most common sites. Seventy two percent of the cases were of high histological grade (Clark's level III and IV); thirty-six cases were distributed predominantly in sheets while 50 cases had dark brown melanin pigments. All showed characteristic prominent eosinophilic nucleolus. Conclusion: Malignant melanoma is a common skin tumour in Zaria. It is commonest in the fifth and sixth decades. The feet and lower limbs are predominantly affected. Keywords: malignant melanoma, cutaneous, pattern Annals of African Medicine Vol. 5 (1) 2006: 16–1

Tumours and tumour-like conditions of the jaw seen in Zaria, Nigeria

Background: Tumours of the jaw may arise from the odontogenic tissues or from the non-odontogenic tissues. Many of the odontogenic tumours are considered as developmental rather than neoplastic. Method: The present study is a retrospective analysis of 246 tumours of the jaw seen in the Pathology Department of the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria from 1987 – 1996. The tumours were classified according to World Health Organization international histological classification for odontogenic tumours. The cases were analyzed according to histological type, age and sex. Result: Jaw tumours formed 3.9% of all tumours seen in the department during the study period. Out of these 141 were benign and 105 were malignant. They had an almost equal sex ratio. The benign tumours were made up of the following histological types: - 48 (34.0%) ameloblastomas; 33 (23.4%) fibrous dysplasia; 31 (22.0%) cemento-osseous dysplasia; 9 (6.4%) myxomas; 8 (5.7%) ameloblastic fibroma; and 3 (2.1%) adenomatoid odontogenic tumours; and 9 (6.4%) unclassified tumours. The benign tumours had an overall M: F ratio of 1:1.3. About 94% of the ameloblastomas occurred in the mandible. The malignant jaw tumours were made up of the following histological types: - 79 (75.2%) malignant lymphoma; 10 (9.5%) osteogenic sarcomas; 2 (1.9%) chondrosarcoma; 1 (1.0%) malignant ameloblastoma and 6 (5.7%) secondary tumours, 7 (6.7%) were unclassified. The malignant jaw tumours had an overall M: F ratio of 1.5:1. The peak age for the malignant jaw tumours was the first decade. Malignant lymphoma shared a similar peak. Osteogenic sarcoma peaked in the fourth decade while the only case of malignant ameloblastoma was in the fifth decade. Eighty one percent of the jaw lymphomas were of Burkitt's type, 53.1% of which were within the age group 5 - 9 years. The other non-Burkitt's lymphomas were distributed between 5 to 60 years. Conclusions: Ameloblastoma is the commonest benign tumour of the jaw in Zaria, while Burkitt's lymphoma is the commonest malignant jaw tumour. The later occurs mainly in the first decade of life. Key words: Jaw tumours (Annals Af Med: 2002 1(2): 72-78

Cancer metastasis: trail of the crab - a review of the literature

No Abstract. Annals of Nigerian Medicine Vol. 1(1) 2005: 5-

Pleomorphic adenoma of the nasal cavity: a case report and literature review

No Abstract.Nigerian Quarterly Journal of Hospital Medicine Vol. 11(1-4) 2001: 1-

A Study of Some Aetiological Factors in 41 Cases Of Cancer Of The Cervix Uteri In Zaria

A prospective study of some aetiological factors in 41 patients with histologically confirmed cancer of the cervix seen in Zaria. Questionnaires were administered to all the patients seeking the following information - age, menarche, age at first marriage, whether polygamous or monogamous, parity, circumcision in husband/partner and smoking habit. Histological classification was attempted using mucin and routine stains. The age range was 27 to 72 years with an average of 49.4 years. All the women were married except for one widow, all their spouses were circumcised and there were only three smokers. Twenty four were from a polygamous home. The average age of first marriage was 14 years. They had a mean number of 7.2 children and were married for an average of 1.9 times. Our findings confirm similar observations by workers from Ibadan, Zaria, and Tanzania, but circumcision and smoking in our patients do not appear to play a similar role as in patients from developed countries. Nigerian Quarterly Journal of Hospital Medicine Vol. 9, No. 2 (June 1999) pp. 87-8

Histologic features of harvested canine kidneys preserved in four different crystalloid solutions

Endless efforts are required in the investigation of the best organ preservative. Normal Saline, 5% dextrose, Darrows and Ringers’ Lactate were used as preservatives with the view to investigate the prospect of kidney survival in these solutions post harvest at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University-Zaria. Sixteen normal kidneys were harvested, preserved and evaluated from sixteen adult Nigerian indigenous breed of dogs. The dogs were acclimatized and conditioned for 2 weeks while presurgical evaluations were done. Kidney harvesting was performed under ge neral anaesthesia, asepsis was observed strictly in all cases. The left kidneys were harvested for each dog through an 8 cm cranioventral midline approach under general anaesthesia. Post nephrectomy, the kidneys were flushed/perfused through the renal artery and preserved for 96 hours at 40C in labeled bowls (A, B C and D) containing these solutions: ARingers Lactate, B-Darrows, C-5% Dextroses and D-Normal Saline solutions which was incorporated 15000 iu of heparin, 5mls of 2% xylocaine, 400000 iu penicillin and 75mg streptomycin. Following preservation for 96 hours, histopathology study was undertaken. Mean pre-surgical haematological, serum chemistry and urinalysis values were within normal range. The gross appearances of the harvested kidneys post preservation were normal. The renal parenchyma for all the kidneys preserved for 72 hours were normal. At 96 hours, kidneys preserved in solutions C and D showed no histological changes. The findings revealed that Normal Saline would preserve better followed by 5% Dextrose and then Darrows and Ringers Lactate being the mild preservative.Keywords: Canine kidney, crystalloid, histologic, preserved, transplantatio