title: Childhood rhabdomyosarcoma in Kano, Nigeria: a retrospective analysis of 52 cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children ≤ 15 years of age. There is, however, a paucity of reports on the pattern of its occurrence in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this review is to highlight the age and sex distribution, anatomical location and morphological characteristics of rhabdomyosarcoma among children in Kano, northwestern Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a 14 year retrospective study of all cases of rhabdomyosarcomas occurring in children diagnosed at the Pathology Department of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria. Clinical data obtained included sex, age, tumour site and histologic subtype.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty two children were seen with a male to female ratio of 1 : 1.3. The ages of these Patients ranged from 4 months to 15 years with a mean (SD) age of 6.99 (4.1) years and peak age frequency in the 0 to 5 years age group. The embryonal variant was the most common histological subtype (69%). The others were alveolar (27%) and pleomorphic (4%) variants. The head and neck was the most affected region (44%) and the most common primary site was the orbit (19.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common childhood soft tissue sarcoma in Kano. It occurs in females more frequently than males and the most common histologic subtype is embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma affecting predominantly the orbit.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Raphael
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Yusuf
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Imam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D009918:Orbital Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018232:Rhabdomyosarcoma, Alveolar / Q000453:epidemiology; D018233:Rhabdomyosarcoma, Embryonal / Q000453:epidemiology