Objective To study the factors associated with morbidity and mortality in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and carcinoma of the prostate in native Africans. Patients and methods A prospective study was conducted from 1993 to 1998 at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospitals, Zaria, Nigeria. During this 5-year period 686 patients were investigated and treated for symptoms and signs of prostatism. They were followed up for a mean (range) of 19.

The complications of traditional male circumcision were studied in 48 boys seen between January 1981 and December 1995. Their ages ranged from 3 days to 7 years (mean: 4 years). Haemorrhage, the commonest complication, was seen in 25 (52%) and infection in ten; one child had amputation of the penis. Other complications included meatal stenosis and urethro-cutaneous fistula. Sixty-four per cent of those with haemorrhage were neonates and their haemoglobin levels ranged between 6 and 15 g/dl. Three required blood transfusion, seven ligation of bleeding vessels and two required both. Overall, 21 patients required surgery and the average duration of hospital stay was 2-8 days. Most complications were seen between 1991 and 1995 when surgical fees had been introduced and the number of boys circumcized in our hospital decreased. We advocate the provision of adequate and safe facilities to cope with the increasing demand for circumcision in our society.

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We report a retrospective review of 57 patients with endemic Kaposi's sarcoma (EKS) seen between 1981 and 1990 and 40 prospectively diagnosed patients with and without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection seen between 1991 and 1995. In the retrospective study 52 patients were males and five were females. Their ages ranged between 15 and 62 years with a mean of 39 years.Thirty-five (61%) patients had symptoms for more than 1 year. Nodular KS was seen in 75% of the patients. In the prospective study 26 patients had EKS while 14 had AIDS associated KS (AAKS). Among the patients with EKS 24 were males and two were females. The mean duration of symptoms was 20 months. The CD4 count done on nine patients ranged between 900 and 1300 cells/mm3 and there was no mortality within 1 year of presentation. Eleven of the patients with AAKS were males and three were females. Their ages ranged between 22 months and 41 years with a mean of 26. Nine patients had symptoms for less than 6 months. Ten patients had peripheral lymphadenopathy. CD4 counts done on 11 patients ranged between 200 and 800 cells/mm3. Five patients (35%) died within 6 months of presentation. Between 1991 and 1995, 486 patients were seen with HIV infection. Patients with AAKS present with fulminant disease which seemed quickly fatal.

Introduction: Bladder carcinoma is the most common male cancer in our environment due to endemicity of schistosomiasis. Squamous-cell carcinoma is the most common histological type and patients present at an advanced stage. The objective of this study is to compare the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of the bladder tumor antigen quantitative test (BTA TRAK) and urine cytology in the diagnosis of bladder carcinoma in a schistosoma endemic area. Materials and Methods: This is a 12-month cross-sectional study of 88 patients, 52 of them with features of bladder carcinoma as study group, and 36 of them with hematuria from other urologic conditions, and benign urologic conditions and healthy volunteers as control group (CG). The mean ages of patients in the study and CGs were 47.17 ± 17.00 and 44.19 ± 18.89 years, respectively ( P = 0.412). Bladder tumor antigen was assayed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 for Windows. Results: The sensitivity of urine cytology and BTA TRAK in the study was 29.1% and 98.8%, respectively. The specificity of urine cytology and BTA TRAK was 95.5% and 13.6%, respectively ( P = 0.05). The positive predictive values of urine cytology and BTA TRAK in the study were 96.2% and 81.7%, respectively. The negative predictive values were 25.0% and 75.0% for urine cytology and BTA TRAK, respectively. Conclusion: BTA TRAK is more sensitive but poorly specific as compared to that of the urine cytology for bladder cell carcinoma detection in a schistosoma endemic area.