ADENOCARCINOMA OF THE ANAL GLANDS

Adenocarcinoma of the anal glands is very rare but it is an important lesion to recognise as with early diagnosis, it has an excellent progn osis. Because it involves the submucosa widely and penetrates the muco sa late, it can be mistaken for metastatic gastrointestinal carcinoma, or tumour arising in sinuses and fistulae. Two cases, in a 44 year ol d man and a 73 year old woman, which illustrate the typical features a re reported, in one of which the diagnosis was missed originally. In s itu neoplastic change of the associated anal glands and secretion of m ucin lacking O-acetyl groups are useful pointers.