Histopathological study of soft tissue malignancies in a teaching hospital, Sagamu, South-West Nigeria.

Background: Soft tissue malignancies constituted a heterogeneous group of rare solid tumors of mesenchymal cell origin with distinct clinical and pathological features.

Objectives: To review all the histologically confirmed soft tissue malignancies, with their age, sex distribution, and histological characteristics in Sagamu, South-West Nigeria.

Methods: A review of all the medical and pathological records and slides of histopathologically diagnosed soft tissue malignancy cases seen between January 2003 and December 2006. Routine haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining as well as histochemical studies were carried out.

Results: It constituted 1.84% of a total number of malignancies (1250 cases) diagnosed with a male to female ratio of 1.9:1 and 18(72.3%) cases occurring in the patients above 20 years. Rhabdomyosarcoma was the most preponderant soft tissue malignancy, constituting 13 (59.1%) cases with the embryonal type predominating (53.8%). Most cases of soft tissue malignancies were seen in the trunk as well in the lower limbs; constituting 63.0%. However, most cases of rhabdomyosarcoma in this study were seen in the lower limbs in 76.9%.

Conclusion: Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue malignancy in Sagamu especially the embryonal variant which is seen predominantly in childhood and adolescence.