TY  - BOOK
AU  -      Phillipo L. Chalya
AU  -  Japhet M. Gilyoma
AU  -   Emmanuel S. Kanumba
AU  -   Brian Mawala
AU  - Nestory Masalu
AU  -  Kahima J. Kahima
AU  - Peter Rambau
TI  - Dermatological malignancies at a University teaching Hospital in Northwestern Tanzania: A retrospective review of 154 cases 
PY  - 2012///-01-01
CY  - Mwanza, Tanzania  
PB  - Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences CUHAS - Bugando
N2  - Abstract

Dermatological malignancies are among the most common form of cancers and the global incidence has been increasing at an alarming rate. A retrospective study was conducted to determine the prevalence, histopathological pattern, anatomical distribution and treatment outcome of dermatological malignancies at Bugando Medical Centre in North-western Tanzania. Data were collected from patients’ files kept in the Medical record department; the surgical wards, operating theatre and histopathology laboratory and analyzed using SPSS system. A total of 154(12.8%) patients with a histopathological diagnosis of dermatological malignancy were studied. Generally, males outnumbered females by a ratio of 1.4:1. The majority of patients were in the 5th and 6th decades of life. Malignant melanoma was the most common dermatological malignancy (67.5%) followed by Kaposi’s sarcoma (10.4%), Squamous cell carcinoma (8.4%) and Basal cell carcinoma(7.8%).  The lower limbs were the most frequent site accounting for 55.8%. Wide local excision was the most common surgical procedure performed in 79.2% of cases. Post-operative wound infection was the most common complication in 58.3% of patients. Mortality rate was 3.8%. Dermatological malignancies are more prevalent in our setting. A high degree of suspecious is needed to avoid lebeling "malignancy" as "chronic ulcers".

Keywords: Dermatological malignancies, prevalence, histopathological pattern, anatomical distribution, treatment outcome, Tanzania
ER  -