Head and Neck Lymphomas in Jos University Teaching Hospital Nigeria: A Five Year Review
Nimkur L Tonga, Obebe F Ameh, Okoye Chukuma, John Emmanuel N
Introduction: Lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of lymphoid tissues traditionally categorized as
either Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (HL) or Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL).The head and neck region is rich
in lymphoid tissues, thus a fertile anatomic site for the development of lymphoid proliferative diseases
like lymphomas. In the head and neck, malignant lymphomas account for 5% of all malignant neoplasm;
NHL is the most common accounting for 75%. The clinical behaviour and manifestations of lymphomas
in the head and neck lack specific characteristics that would enable attribution to a specific lymphoma
entity without biopsy and histological evidence. Materials and Methods: It is a 5 year retrospective
study of confirmed histopathological analysis of head and neck lymphomas from 1st January 2017-
31st December 2021. Case notes of all histopathologically confirmed head and neck lymphomas were
retrieved from the medical records department and also theatre records as supportive data were analysed
for age, sex, histological diagnosis, tumour site, duration of symptoms before presentation and treatment
modality ;and then discussed. Results: The total number of patients seen during the period under review
was 1678, 16 patients had histopathologically confirmed lymphomas out of 388 patients with head and
neck tumours, thus prevalence of 0.1% and 4.1% of all head and neck tumours. Male-Female ratio of 5:1,
age range of 4 to 62 years, mean age of 29 years. Most common tumour site is the cervical region-315;
the most frequently seen histological type is the NHL and the most common duration before presentation
is over 1 year-50%. All patients had chemotherapy as a treatment modality. Conclusion: This study
reveals the management challenges of the head and neck lymphomas due to late presentation, financial
constraints and ignorance. Health awareness and adequate health insurance policy are needed to cope
these problems.
