Abstract

Introduction:


Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is usually regarded as a superficial low-grade sarcoma with a potential to transform into a high grade lesion. A dearth of studies solely on this tumour had been observed. It is imperative that periodic studies should be done to gather and analyse data in order to ascertain the tumour's current trajectory and, on the other hand, compare it with the available baseline data from earlier studies. To this end, this study aimed to determine the frequency, age and sex distribution of DFSP in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, in the Southern part of Nigeria.


Methods:


This was an eighteen-year retrospective descriptive study carried out to investigate the epidemiological and pathological characteristics of DFSP in this region. The data for the study was gotten from the surgical pathology register, histology request forms, duplicate copies of the histology reports and patient case notes. Histology slides were retrieved, reviewed under the light microscope and the diagnosis recorded against the corresponding patient’s name on a data spread sheet. The data obtained was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 16 (SPSS 16, SPSS Inc. Chicago, Illinois, United States of America).


Results:


DFSP accounted for 5.15% of malignant skin tumours during the period under review. Compared to females, there were more male diagnosed with DFSP. It peaked in the fourth decade with an interquartile range of 26.00 to 40.75years.


Conclusion:


This study showed that DFSP is an uncommon malignant skin tumour that is predominantly seen in males, and occurs more recurrently in the young age groups (20-39 years)