title: Pattern of primary tumours and tumour-like lesions of bone in Zaria, northern Nigeria: a review of 127 cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There has been few published reports of primary bone tumours and tumour-like lesions in Zaria.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relative frequencies of primary bone tumours and tumour-like lesions of bone and the anatomical sites of their occurrence.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of histopathology reports of all bone specimens received in the Department of Histopathology, Ahmadu Bello University, Teaching Hospital Zaria between 1995 and 2004.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 127 histologically diagnosed tumours and tumour-like lesions, 74 (58.3%) were males and 53 (41.7%) were females, giving a male to female ratio of 1.5:1. Benign Tumours accounted for 38.6% of the tumours while the malignant tumours and the tumour-like lesions made up 39.4% and 22% respectively. Osteochondroma [20(15.7%)] and osteosarcoma [17 (13.4%)] were the most commonly encountered tumours while fibrous dysplasia [26(20.4%)] was the most common tumour-like lesion. The peak age incidence of occurrence of these tumours was in the 2(n) [47 (37.0%)] and 3rd [28(22.0%)] decades. The face was the most common site with 62 (48.8%) of occurrence followed by the femur accounting for 8 (6.3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bone tumours, of which the most common benign and malignant tumours were osteochondroma and Osteosarcoma respectively appear to be mainly a problem of young adults in Zaria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria. medvisory@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Isa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015831:Osteochondroma / Q000473:pathology; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies