Conjunctival cancers in HIV patients at the university hospital of Brazzaville

Abstract

Background: Conjunctival cancers are masses raised or flat, located in or directly under the conjunctival mucous membrane covering the anterior sclera, tarsus and conjunctival dead-end. These tumours usually occur in the elderly or in cases of HIV/AIDS.

Objective: To list the different types of conjunctival cancer in cases of HIV/AIDS at the University Hospital of Brazzaville.

Design: It was a descriptive and transversal study, conducted between January 2008 and December 2012.

Setting: The University Hospital of Brazzaville.

Subjects: HIV patients under anti-retroviral treatment or not seen for conjunctival cancer histologically proven were selected.

Results: Twenty-eight patients (28) were selected including a woman at 30 weeks of gestation. Two types of cancers were diagnosed, Carcinoma in situ (28.57%) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (71.43%), no secondary tumour. There were anti-retroviral treatment failure in 89.29% of the cases.

Conclusion: Squamous Cell Carcinoma was the most common conjunctival cancer. Better compliance of anti-retroviral treatment can reduce the prevalence of these tumours.