Anal tumors with infrequent histology: Analysis of a series of cases and literature review

Abstract

Background:The most frequent tumor of the anal region is epidermoid carcinoma; however, other types of tumors such as melanomas, sarcomas, and lymphomas can also develop. Most of them present similar symptoms although diagnosis and prognosis might be radically different. Objective: The objective of this study was to report the clinical and histopathological characteristics of a group of patients diagnosed with non-epidermoid anal neoplasm in a third-level hospital. Materials and Methods: Eight patients with non-epidermoid anal neoplastic biopsy samples were evaluated from March 2013 to January 2017. Demographic data and histopathological results were obtained from the clinical records. Results: Mean age of the patients was 48.9 years (23-84); 37.5% of women and 62.5% of men. Patients presented with rectal bleeding in 25%, anal pain 87.5%, anal tumor 75%, and fever 25%. Among the patients, 37.5% presented with melanoma and 62.5% lymphoma. Regarding patients with lymphoma, 60% had plasmablastic lymphoma and 40% non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The diagnostic time was 4 months on average (1-8 months) and 25% of the patients had been previously misdiagnosed with hemorrhoidal disease. Conclusion: Non-epidermoid anal neoplasm cases are infrequent and its accurate diagnosis can take months, therefore, changing prognosis.