A histopathological study of 752 female lesions of the breast with benign biological behavior

Introduction: Lesions of the breast with benign biological behavior (LBBBB) are nonmalignant pathologies. They underlie the most common cause of symptomatic breast problems. It is estimated that 30% of women at sometimes in their lifetime are afflicted with LBBBB that requires treatment. The objective of this work is to study the histological pattern of LBBBB in females at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, between January 2010 and December 2020, relating this finding to age and site, and comparing this with reports in published literature. Methodology: This is a descriptive retrospective research of consecutive cases of LBBBBs diagnosed at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, between January 2010 and December 2020. The records at the department were used to obtain the lesions so diagnosed. Results: A total of 1122 female cases of breast lesions were diagnosed during the period of the study: 370 (32.98%) malignancies and 752 (67.02%) benign (malignancy-to-benignity ratio, 1:2.03). Of the 752 cases of female LBBBB, 382 (50.80%) were on the right, whereas 370 (49.20%) were on the left. The five most common LBBBB were fibroadenoma, 382 (50.79%); fibrocystic change, 126 (16.76%); acute mastitis/abscess, 38 (5.05%); intraductal papilloma, 29 (3.86%); and fat necrosis, 21 (2.79%). The age range was 4–85 years, with mean, median, and mode of 30.60 ± 12.0 years, 28 years, and 23 years, respectively. Conclusion: Two-third of breast lesions in the female breast in our environment are benign and slightly more common on the right. Fibroadenoma is the most common histological type constituting more than half of cases and together with fibrocystic change (the second most common lesion) makes up two-third of all cases. The reproductive age is overwhelmingly the commonly affected group. We recommend increasing research in this field to help predict the risk of subsequent malignancy in affected women with LBBB in our environment.