The diagnostic value of lymphnode biopsies in Benin-City, Nigeria.

A total of 359 lymphnode biopsies (LNB) were done over 11-year period (1975-1985) at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin-City, Nigeria. The mean number of LNB per year is 32.64 and the percentage incidence of LNB per year is 9%. The commonest site of LNB is cervical (42.9%) and this is followed by the inguinal (36.2%). There is a high incidence of non-specific lymphadenitis (65.3%) in LNB from the inguinal region as opposed to 16.8% in LNB from the cervical region. Tuberculous lymphadenitis is the commonest single histopathological diagnosis from cervical LNB (37.6%). Most cases of non-specific lymphadentitis were diagnosed in the 0-20 year age group. Hodgkins disease (HD) was most common in the 21-40 year age group as opposed to non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) in the 41-60 year age group. NHL is more commonly diagnosed histopathologically than HD. The poorly differentiated lymphocytic (35.4%) and the undifferentiated (29.0%) types of NHL are the commonest subtypes whereas the mixed cellularity subtype (50%) was the predominant type of HD. Most cases of NHL were of the diffuse type (90.3%) as opposed to the nodular type. The implications of these findings are discussed.