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A polyp can be defined as lining of mucosa which projects out in a mushroom shape. If they have a stalk they are called pendulated if there is no stalk present they are called sessile. They are commonly found in the colon. In zoology, a polyp is one of two forms of individuals found in many species of cnidarians. ...
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A colonic polyp is a polyp found in the colon. They are mostly benign but have the potential to become malignant. In zoology, a polyp is one of two forms of individuals found in many species of cnidarians. ...
There are many causes which can be neatly broken down into categories.
Types Neoplastic, Hamartomatous, inflammatory, metaplastic.
Neoplastic polyp A neoplasm is a tissue whose cells have lost its normal differentiation. They can be either benign growths or malignant growths. The malignant growths can either have primary or secondary causes. Neoplasia (literally: new growth) is sudden and abnormal growth in a tissue or organ. ...
Neoplastic polyps of the bowel are often benign hence called adenomas. An adenoma is tumour of columnar cells or glandular tissue.
Neoplastic polyps can be further broken down into tubular, tubularvillous or villous. They are all broken down into these categories by histology. Tubular may refer to: the form of a cylinder (geometry) or tube tubular bell parts of the kidney distal convoluted tubule uriniferous tubule 80s Surfer talk for Badical This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ...
The villous subdivision is the worse one to have because the have the most malignant potential. The reason for this is because the villous are projections into the lumen and hence has a bigger surface area and therefore they have a greater potential for malignant change.
Metaplastic polyp Metaplasia is defined as when the cells of the epithelia change from one type to another like in Barrett’s oesophagus, where the cells change from squamous to columnar. Metaplasia is the replacement of one differentiated cell type with another differentiated cell type. ...
metaplastic polyps are an overgrowth of tissue of normal mucosa. The name "metaplastic polyp" is actually a misnomer as there is no change in epithelia. Metaplastic polyps are the most common type of colonic polyp followed by adenoma polyps. But unlike adenomas they have no malignant potential and rarely grow larger than 5mm.
Hamartomatous polyp They are growths, like tumours found in organs as a result of faulty development. They are normally made up of a mixture of tissues. They grow at the normal rate of the host tissue. And rarely cause problems such as compression. A common example of a hamartomatous lesion is a strawberry naevi. Hamartomatous polyps are often found by chance; occurring in syndromes such as Peutz-Jegher or Juvenile Polyposis Syndrome.
Peutz-jeghers syndrome is associated with polyps of the GI tract and also increased pigmentation around the lips, genitalia, buccul mucosa feet and hands. People are often diagnosed with Peutz-Jegher after presenting at around the age of 9 with an intussusception. The polyps themselves carry little malignant potential but because of potential coexisting adenomas there is a 15% chance of colonic malignancy. Peutz-Jeghers is an autosomal dominant genetic disease. ...
Juvenile polyposis syndrome are polyps which often present when the patient is young hence called juvenile. Patients normally present young with rectal bleeding. Polyps can be solitary or multiple (>5). If there are multiple the condition is then referred to as Juvenile Polyposis. This condition may have a genetic association. Patients require upper and lower endoscopic screening with removal of polyps. If you fear adenomatous tissue developing then you can offer surgery, namely colectomy and ileorectal anastomosis
Inflammatory polyp These are polyps which are associated with inflammatory conditions such as Ulcerative Colitis and Crohns disease. Crohns disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the alimentary tract and it can involve any part of it - from the mouth to the anus. ...
When does a polyp become a problem? Malignant potential is associated with - degree of dysplasia
- Type of polyp (e.g. villous adenoma)
- Size of polyp:
- <1cm =<1 risk of cancer
- 1cm=10%risk of cancer
- 2cm=15%risk of cancer
Normally an adenoma which is greater than 0.5cm is treated Dysplasia (latin for bad form) is an abnormality in the appearance of cells indicative of an early step towards transformation into a neoplasia. ...
Presentation Patients normally present with rectal bleeding. But can also present with cramp abdominal pain with altered bowel habits. With profuse bleeding you can present with Iron deficiency anaemia.
Treatment Patients require flexible sigmoidoscopy or Colonoscopy to diagnose. Polyps can just be removed during these procedures. The patient will require regular screening via endoscopy to monitor progress of disease. Colonoscopy is the minimally invasive endoscopic examination of the large colon and the distal part of the small bowel with a fiber optic camera on a flexible tube passed through the anus. ...
Severe disease can be treated with colonic resection.
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