Differential mucin staining in colorectal neoplasms. Potential clinical application.

Screening techniques that can identify histochemically different mucin production by colonic mucosa have been claimed to be able to identify early dysplastic changes in the colon and rectum. Controversy has arisen regarding interpretation of these changes, and this study has attempted to address this issue. Utilizing a high iron diamine-alcian blue staining technique, several benign and malignant pathologic conditions of the colon were evaluated. Significantly abnormal staining patterns were identified at the resection margins of all patients in whom either anastomotic recurrence or metachronous carcinomas developed compared with patients who were without recurrence for more than 5 years. It is postulated that this technique may be useful in prospectively identifying this group of patients at high risk for the development of recurrence.