ABSTRACT
To evaluate the mucin profile ofcolorectal adenocarcinoma by means of a histochemical study and to correlate mucin content and histological grade vis-a-vis prognosis. Descriptive study. Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre Karachi, from August 2004 to August 2007. Seventy patients who underwent surgical resection of sporadic colorectal adenocarcinoma over a 3-year period were evaluated for histological classification as to mucinous [MUC] or a non-mucinous [nMUC] subtype. They were further divided by histological differentiation into low-grade and high-grade tumors. The two groups were compared in terms of mucin content by histochemical techniques. Relationship between mucin content and histological grade was also analyzed. On the basis of mucin content all cases were divided into mucinous [MUC; n = 14; 20%] and non- mucinous [nMUC; n = 56; 80%] adenocarcinomas. The predominant mucin on histochemistry ofcolorectal adenocarcinoma [nMUC and MUC] was sialomucin. Tumors were further graded historically into low-grade [85.71%] and high-grade [14.28%]. MUC adenocarcinoms showed a higher proportion of high grade tumors. Both MUC and nMUC are distinct histological subtypes of colorectal adenocarcinoma. No relationship could be established between pattern of mucin secretion and histological differentiation, however there is a definite relationship between mucin content and histological grade. It could be concluded from this study that mucin content vis-a-vis histologic grade have an influence on prognosis. Further elucidation and follow-up is needed