CLINICO-PATHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF OVARIAN NEOPLASMS IN NORTHERN GHANA: A RETROSPECTIVE HISTOPATHOLOGICAL REVIEW AT THE TAMALE TEACHING HOSPITAL (TTH)

Abstract

Background: High-quality data on ovarian neoplasms is scarce in Ghana. The situation is even worse in northern Ghana with low numbers of investigative centres. The aim of this retrospective descriptive histopathological review was to describe the spectrum of ovarian neoplasms diagnosed at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) and the associated clinico-pathological features. Material and Methods: This was a descriptive retrospective histopathology review in the department of pathology, of the TTH from 1st June, 2013 to 30th June 2020. Results: The mean age of women diagnosed with ovarian neoplasms was 37.1 ± 16.0 years. There were 121 (54.0%) benign, 98 (43.8%) malignant and 5 (2.2%) borderline lesions (p<0.0001). The main lesions were: germ cell tumours (48.2%), surface epithelial tumours (33.0%), sex cord-stroma tumours (16.1%), metastatic cancers (1.8%) and Burkitt’s lymphoma 2 (0.9%). Germ cell tumours were common in women younger than 40-years. All the women presented palpable intra-abdominal masses (P<0.0001). The common germ cell tumours were: mature cystic teratoma (64.8%), immature cystic teratoma (12.0%) and York sac tumour (7.4%). The common surface epithelial tumours were: serous cystadenocarcinoma (31.0%), mucinous cystadenoma (24.3%) and serous cystadenoma (20.3%). The common sex cord-stroma tumours were: adult-type granulosa cell tumour (30.6%), fibroma (27.8%), and juvenile type granulosa cell tumour (16.7%). The common benign lesions were: Mature cystic teratoma (57.8%), mucinous cystadenoma (14.9%), serous cystadenoma (12.4%), and fibroma (8.3%). The common malignant lesions were: serous cystadenocarcinoma (23.5%), immature cystic teratoma (13.3%), adult type granulosa cell tumour (11.2%), York sac (8.2%) and struma ovarii (6.1%). Conclusion: The common histological subtypes of ovarian tumours were: germ cell tumours, surface epithelial tumours, sex–cord stroma tumours, metastatic cancers and Burkitt’s lymphoma. Significant proportion of the lesions were malignant, an important finding. This study may be useful in future for further study of ovarian neoplasms in northern Ghana.