Abstract

This is a retrospective study of a review of paediatric germ cell tumours. All cases of germ
cell neoplasms histologically diagnosed at the Department of Pathology, University College
Hospital (UCH), Ibadan between January 1988 and December 2007 among children aged 0
14 years were retrieved from the records of the department. Haematoxylin and eosin stained
slides were reviewed and where necessary the paraffin blocks were recut and stained. The
World Health Organization Histological Classification of paediatric germ cell tumours of
2004 was used in this study. Paediatric germ cell tumours comprised 0.05% of all surgical
pathology specimens in the study period. There were 10 (25.6%) male and 29 (73.4%) female
patients, giving a male to female gender ratio of 1:2.9. Extragonadal germ cell tumours
constituted 25 (64.1%) and gonadal germ cell tumours 14 (35.9%) cases. Benign neoplasms
accounted for 26 (66.7%) and malignant neoplasms accounted for 13 (33.3%) cases. Thirty
one (79.5%) of the 39 cases were teratomas, 7 (17.9%) were yolk sac tumours and one (2.6%)
was a mixed germ cell tumour. The most common anatomical sites were the ovary (33.3%),
sacrococcygeal region (20.5%) and neck (10.3%). There was a bimodal age distribution, with
a first peak in infancy and a second peak between >5-10 years of age.

REVIEW OF PAEDIATRIC GERM CELL TUMOURS IN IBADAN- A TWENTY YEAR RETROSPECTIVE STUDY BETWEEN 1988 AND 2007