title: A 20-year retrospective study of histopathologic patterns of gonadal germ cell tumors in males in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Localization of germ cells tumors to the gonads is not uncommon and has been shown to possess good prognosis with appropriate treatment. Studies on the prevalence and histopathologic features of these tumors in Nigerians are, however, rare. This study was, therefore, aimed at determining the pattern of gonadal germ cell tumors (GGCTs) in Benin and environs.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a 20-year retrospective study conducted at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital 9-(UBTH), a tertiary health facility in Benin City. Data were obtained from the histopathology day book of the Department of Morbid Anatomy of the UBTH, and permission was obtained from the UBTH Ethics Committee protocol number ADM/E 22/A/VOL.VH/928 with results displayed in tables and figures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intratubular germ cell neoplasms (ITGN) was the most common GGCT with about 33.3% of the total and was distributed within the fourth to fifth decades of life; benign cystic teratoma and choriocarcinoma were observed to have a low occurrence with 8.3% each found in age groups 11-20 and 21-30 years, respectively. The studied gonadal lesions were most frequent at the left testis and were predominantly premalignant forms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This was an index study on patterns of GGCTs in males in UBTH, and it showed that GGCTs in males were predominantly premalignant with ITGN as the most common type of testicular germ cell tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Biology, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Odokuma Emmanuel
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Igho
keywords: Gonadal; histopathology; male; premalignant; retrospective