Cytological pattern of lymphadenopathies in a referral hospital of Rwanda: experience of Kigali university teaching hospital

Background : Lymphadenopathy is one of the common conditions encountered in clinical practice with varied etiological predispositions and it always causes problems to clinicians. The knowledge of its pattern in a given geographical region is essential for making a confident diagnosis or suspecting a disease. Objective : To determine cytological pattern of lymphadenopathies in a referral hospital of Rwanda. Design : Cross sectional study. Setting : Kigali University Teaching Hospital, Rwanda. Subjects : Patients with enlarged peripheral lymph nodes. Results : The study shows that reactive lymphoid hyperplasia was the most common pattern accounting for 84 (41.0%) of cases followed by tuberculous lymphadenitis 58 (28.3%). Lymphomas were seen in 25 (12.2%) whereas secondary malignancies (metastasis) to lymph nodes were 13 (6.3%). In 58 cases of tuberculous lymphadenitis, there was a statistical significant association of tuberculous lymphadenitis with an age group of 15 and 44 years, with 76% of the cases, (P-value=0.017). Cervical group of group of lymph nodes were the most common involved, out of 205 patients received 157 (76.6%) were from cervical group. Conclusion : Reactive lymphoid hyperplasiawas the most common cytological pattern followed by tuberculous lymphadenitis. Tuberculous lymphadenitis was mostly common in patients aged between 15 to 44 years.