Histopathological patterns of ophthalmic lesions and associated factors in Jimma University Medical Center, Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia: A 5 year retrospective cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: Among the few special sensory organs of our body, the eye shows to be a distinctive and special sensory organ displaying several histologic characters. Ophthalmic lesions comprise a wide range of disorders ranging from benign, precancerous to malignant lesions. Objective: The main objective of the study was to determine the histopathological patterns of ophthalmic lesions and associated factors in Jimma University Medical Center, Jimma, South west Ethiopia, 2021. Methods: an institution based retrospective cross sectional study was conducted based on a review of all medical records of 209 patients who were histopathologically diagnosed with ophthalmic lesions over a period from September 2016 to August 2020. Data were entered and cleaned Using an excel spreadsheet and analyzed in SPSS version 26. Finally, data were presented using tables, figures, and narrative form. Results: 209 cases of ophthalmic lesions were reviewed, of these 118 (56.5%) were malignant and 58 (27.8%) were benign lesions. Conjunctiva was the most common site of ophthalmic lesions 128 (61.2%). Squamous cell carcinoma is the leading ophthalmic malignancy 58 (49.1%). There was a bimodal distribution of age, in the first decade due to retinoblastoma and the fourth decade due to Squamous cell carcinoma. Age (AOR: 0.125 (CI: 0.029-0.542), Site of lesion (AOR: 22.054, CI: 2.548- 190.875) were significantly associated with malignant diagnosis. Sex (AOR: 0.451(CI: 0.242-0.841) has significant association with OSSN diagnosis. Solar elsatosis was seen 32 (36.3%) throughout the spectrum of OSSN. Most SCC 53 (96.3%) and retinoblastomas 18 (78.2%) were well-differentiated. Conclusion and recommendation: The commonest ophthalmic lesions were malignant neoplasms. Age and site of ophthalmic lesions were statistically significant for malignant ophthalmic diagnosis. Request forms should be complete as Clinico-pathological correlation is very important for reaching a histopathological diagnosis. The pathological reporting should also be standardized to include basic information about the nature of lesions.