Prevalence of Benign Breast Lesions, Epithelial Proliferations with or without Atypia in Calabar-A Retrospective Review

Aims: The aim of this study is to find out the prevalence of benign breast lesions and proliferative lesions which are associated with increase risk of breast cancer. This is aimed at influencing the hospital policy on mammographic screening.

Study Design: Descriptive retrospective study involving a trend analysis of benign breast lesion, proliferative analysed in the surgical pathology unit of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital between 1st of January 2012 to October 31st 2014.

Place and Duration of Study: Pathology Department of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital. The study was carried out between March and April 2019.

Methodology: Descriptive retrospective study of trend analysis of benign and proliferative breast lesions over the period with literature review.

Results: Two hundred and seventeen 217 patients consisting of seven males and two hundred and ten females with a female: Male ratio of 1:0.04. Mean age was 26.4 ± 10.0 years, ranging from 10 to 70 years, with 21-30 (94, 43.5%), as the predominant age and less than 21 years (70, 32.4%) as the second common age group. Seventy four percent of (74%) of the breast lesions were benign non proliferative lesions while 26% were proliferative breast lesions. Of the proliferative lesions, five or 8.9% of the proliferative or 2.33% of the lesions were atypical ductal hyperplasia’s which have a high risk of progression to cancer.

Conclusion: Proliferative breast lesions and the premalignant lesions of the breast are not commonly reported in Calabar. An upscale of population screening and mammographic services may improve their yield which will help prevent some invasive breast cancers.