Surgical biopsy spectrum of a Nigerian ophthalmic practice

Abstract

A retrospective study of the surgical biopsy spectrum of a Nigerian ophthalmic practice over a 14 year period (January 1986 - December 1999) was undertaken. This is to highlight the commonly encountered diseases and stress the need for histopathological investigation in ophthalmic practice. A total of 89 specimens (from 85 patients) were received during the study period. The commonest anatomical sites of the specimens were whole globe (39.3%) conjunctiva (29.2%), orbit (15.8%) and eyelid (6.8%). Retinoblastoma was the histopathological diagnosis for most of the whole globe and orbital specimens. The rest of the whole globe specimens were mainly staphyloma (22.9%) and inflammation (including panophthalmitis and endophthalmitis)(31.4%). The diagnoses of the lid lesions agreed both clinically and histopathologically except for one patient who was clinically diagnosed as a case of squamous cell carcinoma but histologically turned out to be granulormatous inflammation. It is advocated that all ophthalmic surgical specimens should be subjected to histology as some malignant lesions could masquerade clinically as benign lesions.

Keywords

• biopsy specimen
• ophthalmic practice
• retinoblastoma
• staphyloma
• conjunctival lesions