BACKGROUND: Worldwide, colorectal carcinomas are the third most common carcinomas in men and the second most common carcinomas in women. Pathological examination of rectum specimens requires special attention for correctly evaluating many prognostically important factors. In this study, we present pathological results of 173 lower anterior resection (LAR) and abdominoperineal resection (APR) specimens retrospectively evaluated.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included 173 LAR and APR specimens in this study. Patients were evaluated in the Istanbul Ekin Private Pathology Laboratory and underwent surgery at Çanakkale State Hospital, General Surgery Clinic.

RESULTS: Of the 173 specimens, 15 (8.7%) were APR and 158 (91.3%) were LAR specimens. Ninety-four patients (54.3%) were males and 79 patients (45.7%) were females. The mean age of the patients was 63.5 years (range 26–90 years). In the histopathological examination, malignant neoplasm was detected in 172 of the cases (99.4%) and benign endometriosis was detected in 1 of the cases (0.6%). There were 151 (87.2%), 8 (4.6%), 5 (2.9%), 1 (0.6%), 1 (0.6%), 1 (0.6%), 1 (0.6%), 1 (0.6%), and 4 (2.3%) patients with adenocarcinoma, mucinous adenocarcinoma, intramucosal adenocarcinoma in the setting of a high-grade tubulovillous adenoma, synchronous colon/prostate adenocarcinoma, malignant melanoma, signet ring cell carcinoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, endometriosis, and adenocarcinoma diagnosed by the examination of colonoscopic biopsy specimens that showed complete regression with neoadjuvant therapy, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: When evaluating specimens from patients with colorectal carcinoma, pathological evaluation, which is one of the most fundamental pillars in managing patients with cancer, must be performed carefully and meticulously. Each pathological parameter should be evaluated carefully and clinicians and pathologists should evaluate these cases together.

Keywords: Pathology, Rectal Neoplasms, Rectum