An audit of two hundred and fifty consecutive breast biopsies in Nigerian women

Objective: This study aims to audit the clinical and pathological features of patients with breast lumps seen at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Akure Complex, Ondo State, Nigeria. Methods: A retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the surgical outpatient department of the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Akure Complex over a three-year duration between May 2018 and April 2021. Histopathological reports of all breast specimens received and processed during the study period were retrieved from a computer database and analyzed using SPSS version 24. Results: Two hundred and fifty-two patients were seen during this study period of three years between May 2018 and April 2021, two males and 250 females. Two male patients were diagnosed with gynecomastia and were therefore excluded from the study. The age range was 14-75 years and the mean age was 40.12 years with a standard deviation (SD ±10.60 years); The commonest symptoms were, breast lumps in 205 patients, (82%) and breast pain in 50 patients (20%). One hundred and sixty patients (64%) had benign breast diseases out of which 50 (20%) were fibroadenoma, and fibrocystic disease 45 (18%). The main histological type of breast cancer was ductal adenocarcinoma 85 invasive, 17 ductal carcinoma in situ, and 5 infiltrating lobular adenocarcinomas. Conclusion: Benign breast lesions are more common generally, while invasive ductal carcinoma is the most common malignant lesion. This study affirms that breast diseases in Nigerians are characterized by late presentation, and often dismal mortality.