Benign breast lesions in Eastern Nigeria

OBJECTIVE: To characterize benign breast diseases in Eastern Nigeria and to highlight the age variations of these lesions as base line data.

METHODS: The Department of Morbid Anatomy, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu caters for over 30 million African blacks and receives 2000 surgical pathology specimens yearly. Seven hundred and twenty-two benign breast specimens were analyzed over 5 years from 1st January 2000 to 31st December 2004, out of 1050 breast samples received.

RESULTS: Of 1050 breast specimens received, 722 (68.8%) were benign. Fibroadenoma was the most common lesion with 318 cases (44%), occurring at a mean age of 16-32 years. Next was fibrocystic changes with 165 cases (22.9%) at a mean age of 23-45 years. Normal breast in the axillary tail region was seen in 32 cases (4.4%), represented as no pathology, with a mean presentation age of 20-46 years. Low grade Phyllodes tumor had 28 cases (3.9%), presenting at an average mean age of 17-32 years. Lactating adenoma had 19 (2.6%) cases. Other lesions made up less than 3% each. Benign breast lesions peaked at the 20-24 age range and then declined. Most were females.

CONCLUSION: Benign breast lesions occur more frequently than malignant breast lesions with a ratio of 2.3:1 and were presented 20 years earlier than their malignant counterparts. Fibroadenoma was the most common benign lesion followed by fibrocystic disease, similar to the findings in Western Nigeria. In Northern Nigeria, fibrocystic breast disease was more common.