Medullary Carcinoma of the Colon: A Histopathologic Challenge

Cureus. 2021 Jun 22;13(6):e15831. doi: 10.7759/cureus.15831. eCollection 2021 Jun.

Abstract

Medullary carcinoma (MC) of the colon is a rare and unique histologic subtype of colorectal cancer. It is commonly associated with deficient mismatch repair proteins and has a strong association with Lynch syndrome. Diagnosis is challenging as it does not have the usual immunohistochemical stains on pathology seen in colorectal adenocarcinoma. Here, we discuss an interesting case of MC of the colon that was metastatic on presentation and constituted a diagnostic challenge.

Keywords: chemotherapy; colon cancer; immunohistochemistry; medullary carcinoma; metastasis; microsatellite instability.

Publication types

  • Case Reports