PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Lam, K Y
AU  - Loke, S L
AU  - Ma, L T
TI  - Histochemistry of mucin secreting components in mucoepidermoid and adenosquamous carcinoma of the oesophagus.
AID  - 10.1136/jcp.46.11.1011
DP  - 1993 Nov 01
TA  - Journal of Clinical Pathology
PG  - 1011--1015
VI  - 46
IP  - 11
4099  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/46/11/1011.short
4100  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/46/11/1011.full
SO  - J Clin Pathol1993 Nov 01; 46
AB  - AIMS--To determine the direction of differentiation of the mucin secreting components in a rare group of oesophageal tumours--oesophageal squamous cell carcinomas with prominent mucin secreting components (mucoepidermoid carcinomas and adenosquamous carcinomas). METHODS--In a review of 617 cases of primary carcinoma of the oesophagus, 16 cases of squamous cell carcinoma with prominent mucin secreting components were studied using a battery of histochemical techniques. RESULTS--The mucin produced by these tumours was mixed and included a variable content of enzyme labile sialomucin (positive for mucicarmine, periodic acid Schiff, and alcian blue, and sensitive to sialidase digestion and negative for high iron diamine-alcian blue). Retrospective analysis of endoscopic biopsy specimens taken from these tumours showed that mucin was present in five (42%) cases. CONCLUSIONS--The glandular component of this group of tumours histochemically differentiated in the direction of oesophageal glands: examination of the mucin secreting component in squamous cell carcinoma in resected specimens is therefore required for recording the true incidence of this type of tumour.