A histopathological study of non-neoplastic gall bladder diseases with special reference to mucin histochemistry

Background : Cholelithiasis and even silent gallstones which are asymptomatic produce a series of epithelial pathological changes in gall bladder mucosa, which could be precursor lesions of gall bladder carcinoma. Aim : To study the non neoplastic gall bladder diseases with special reference to mucin histochemistry. Methods : Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded surgically resected gallbladder tissue samples of last 5 years were sectioned. All sections were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin, Alcian Blue (AB) at pH 2.5 and pH 1.0 and Periodic acid-Schiff's (PAS). Result: A total of 1420 cholecysteclomy cases were observed. Maximum cases were of chronic cholecystitis with gall stones 91.55 % (1300/1420) cases. The stones were mainly of mixed type 45.19% (474/1049) cases. Metaplasia was found in 182 out of 1420 cases. Mucin histochemistry in metaplstic group showed PAS positivity in all 182 cases, AB/PAS positivity at pH 2.5 in 97.25%(177/182) cases and AB/PAS positivity at pH 1 in 78.57%(143/182) cases. Conclusion: Cholelithiasis is the most important entity in gall bladder lesions and that there is a definite association between metaplasia-dysplasia-carcinoma sequence. Early detection of mucin histochemistry in metaplastic cases can lead to early diagnosis of carcinoma gallbladder. Keywords: Gall bladder, Cholecystitis, Cholesterolosis, Gall stones, Mucin histochemistry, PAS.