Colon-tumor

Last revised 28 May 2008

Last major update October 2006

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Table of contents

Primary references, images needed

Polyps: general, biopsies, aberrant crypt foci, adenoma, carcinoma arising in adenoma, adenoma-carcinoma sequence, atheroemboli, cap polyposis, displaced glands, diverticular, fibroblastic, flat adenoma, hyperplastic, hyperplastic polyposis, inflammatory, inflammatory fibroid, inflammatory myoglandular, juvenile, lymphoid, Peutz-Jegher, post-surgical, serrated, transitional, tubular adenoma, tubulovillous adenoma, villous adenoma

Familial polyposis syndromes: APC gene, Cowden’s, Cronkhite-Canada, familial adenomatous polyposis-classic, attenuated, Gardner’s, hereditary mixed polyposis, hyperplastic polyposis, juvenile polyposis, Lynch, Muir-Torre, MUTYH associated, Peutz-Jegher, Turcot’s

Carcinoma: general, molecular pathways, WHO classification, post-treatment changes, intramucosal, adenocarcinoma, adenosquamous, carcinosarcoma, clear cell, glassy cell, hepatoid, lymphoepithelioma-like, medullary, metastases to colon, mucinous, neuroendocrine, papillary, signet ring, small cell, small early flat, squamous cell, villous

Carcinoid tumors: rectum, not rectum

Lymphoma and hematopoietic lesions: general, Burkitt’s, follicular, HHV8, Hodgkin’s, MALT, mantle cell, mast cell sarcoma, T cell

Mesenchymal tumors: general, angiomyolipoma, angiosarcoma, endometrial stromal sarcoma, fibromatosis, ganglioneuromatosis, GANT, GIST, hemangioma, histiocytic sarcoma, idiopathic retractile mesenteritis, idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, Kaposi’s sarcoma, leiomyoma, leiomyomatosis, leiomyomatosis-like lymphangioleiomyomatosis, leiomyosarcoma, lipoma, lipomatosis, liposarcoma, Mullerian adenosarcoma, perineurioma, perivascular epithelioid cell tumor, pyogenic granuloma, reactive nodular fibrous pseudotumor, schwannoma, solitary fibrous tumor

Other tumors: Langerhans cell histiocytosis, Rosai-Dorfman disease, teratoma

Other: grossing, staging, features to report

 

Go to Colon-nontumor (normal, congenital anomalies, diverticular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, colitis (non-infectious and infectious), non-neoplastic non-congenital lesions)

 

Primary references

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AJCC Cancer Staging Manual (6th Ed)

American Journal of Clinical Pathology (AJCP), Jan 1975 to October 2006

American Journal of Surgical Pathology (AJSP), March 1977 to September 2006

Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Archives), January 1976 to September 2006

Human Pathology (Hum Path), March 1970 to September 2006

Journal of Clinical Pathology, January 1966 to September 2006

Modern Pathology (Mod Path), January 1988 to September 2006

Biomed Center, to 8 September 2006

Mills: Sternberg's Diagnostic Surgical Pathology (4th ed), 2004

Rosai: Rosai and Ackerman's Surgical Pathology (9th ed), 2004

Websites with images: PathoPic, PEIR digital library

 

Please refer to these primary references for more detailed discussions and photographs

 

Images needed for colon

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We welcome your contributions of digital images, which we will post in the appropriate section of this chapter, and which help pathologists worldwide.

To contribute, email your digital images (GIF or JPG, any size) to Dr. Pernick at info@PathologyOutlines.com.  We will list your name as a contributor unless you want to be anonymous.  Click here for more information

Gross, EM and immunohistochemistry images are needed for most disorders

Micro images are particularly needed for these lesions:

Polyps - atheroemboli associated, displaced glands, fibroblastic polyp, post-surgical polyp, transitional polyp
Familial polyposis syndromes - Cowden’s syndrome, Cronkhite-Canada syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis (classic and attenuated), hereditary mixed syndrome, Lynch syndrome, Muir-Torre, MUTYH associated, Turcot’s syndrome

Carcinoma - post-treatment changes, intramucosal carcinoma, adenosquamous, glassy cell, hepatoid, metastases to colon, neuroendocrine, squamous cell

Carcinoid - not rectum

Mesenchymal tumors - leiomyomatosis, reactive nodular fibrous pseudotumor, solitary fibrous tumor

Other tumors - hemangioma, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, Rosai-Dorfman disease, teratoma

 

 

Polyps of colon

Polyps-general of colon

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Definition: mass protruding into lumen of gut

Sessile: no stalk

Pedunculated: polyp with stalk, may be due to traction on the mass

Polyps that are due to abnormal mucosal maturation, inflammation or architecture are non-neoplastic

Polyps that are due to proliferation and dysplasia are neoplastic / adenomatous

Polypoid lesions may also be due to mucosal or submucosal tumors

Clinical impression correlates poorly with neoplasia (J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2006;21:563)

Appelman recommends calling “benign mucosal polyp” unless (a) diagnosis is adenoma [the only diagnosis that causes clinicians to do anything different] or (b) you can classify it within 30 seconds

 

Biopsies of colon

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Recommended to submit entire biopsy material and cut 3 levels

If clinically is a polyp but microscopically is normal, flipping specimen after melting paraffin block gives definitive diagnosis in 30% of cases (AJSP 2003;27:254)

Deeper levels may reveal polyps in negative biopsies (AJCP 2002;117:424)

Difficult to diagnose carcinoma (i.e. invasion into submucosa) if no submucosa is present

Can diagnose invasion if (a) marked desmoplasia, (b) infiltrative pattern, (c) ulceration or (d) clinical mass lesion

Muciphages, without other abnormalities, have no clinical significance (Histopathology 2000;36:556)

 

Aberrant crypt foci in colon

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Earliest neoplastic lesion of colon

May predict future adenoma or carcinoma (Am J Gastroenterol 2006;101:1362, Am J Gastroenterol 2005;100:1283)

May be useful to monitor effects of chemoprevention agents (Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2005;3:S42)

Micro: crypts are 2-3x larger than normal crypts, are microscopically elevated, have slit-like openings, and have thick epithelial lining that stains darker than normal crypts (particularly with Methylene blue), with large pericryptal zone

Micro images: aberrant crypt foci #1#2 with dysplasia#3 (methylene blue) 

Micro images (rats): A: small intestinal adenomas; B: small intestinal microadenoma and cystic crypt; C: adenomas in colon; D: aberrant crypt foci in colon (A-D are Methylene blue stains); E: polycryptal and F: monocryptal aberrant crypt foci (E-F are H&E)

References: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 1991;1:57. World J Gastroenterol 2003;9:2642, Anticancer Res 2006;26:107, summary

 

Adenoma-general of colon

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“Adenoma” is an incorrect term - they are not benign neoplasms, but polypoid areas of epithelial dysplasia

Present in 20% (US) at age 40 years, 50% at age 60; in autopsy studies, almost all have tubular adenomas, <5% have tubulovillous or villous adenomas

Low incidence in developing countries

No gender predilection

Slow growing

Decreased risk of distal colon adenoma associated with dietary fiber intake (Lancet 2003;361:1491), fruit consumption in women (Cancer Res 2006;66:3942); folate intake (J Nutr 2005;135:2468); only weak association between fiber and adenoma recurrence (Am J Gastroenterol 2005;100:2789)

30% develop new polyps after mean 26 month follow up; higher risk if 3 or more adenomas and at least one in proximal colon (Dis Colon Rectum 2004;47:323)

Risk of invasive colorectal adenocarcinoma in the adenoma depends on size: <1% if < 1 cm vs. 10% if > 2 cm; higher risk if villous component

Risk of subsequent carcinoma is related to presence of 3 or more polyps, location at transverse colon or proximal, or [one study] presence of monotonous population of elongated cells (AJSP 2006;30:1120)

Vienna classification (1999) described at J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2006;21:1697.

Treatment: excision of a pedunculated adenoma, even with invasive carcinoma (see below), is considered adequate treatment if margin is negative, there is no vascular or lymphatic invasion and carcinoma is moderate or well differentiated; invasive adenocarcinoma in a sessile polyp requires more than polypectomy

Gross: classified as pedunculated (with stalk), sessile or flat; tubular are red (darker than surrounding mucosa); villous are shaggy with papillary fronds; true margin of resection should be inked when grossing, or can be determined by diathermy artifact

Gross images: peduculated adenoma #1#2#3#4#5#6sessile adenoma #1#2

Micro: classify microscopically as tubular, tubulovillous (5%) or villous (1%) adenoma; all contain epithelial proliferative dysplasia; dysplasia can be classified as low grade or high grade, although some GI pathologists recommend not using high grade dysplasia terminology unless clinicians want to know

Low grade: nuclei are elongated and dysplastic, but don’t reach cell surface; apical mucin present

High grade: cytologic and architectural changes of dysplasia; nuclei are enlarged, hyperchromatic or vesicular with prominent nucleoli; nuclei are stratified and reach luminal border; cribriform or irregular budding/branching of crypts is present; prominent mitotic figures; reduced mucin; necrosis may be present; no invasion through muscularis mucosa into submucosa; high grade dysplasia present in 12% of adenomas

Intramucosal carcinoma: invasion of lamina propria only with desmoplastic response; no biologic potential for metastases

References: Am J Gastroenterol 2006;101:255 (prevalence)

 

Invasive carcinoma arising in a colonic adenoma

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Present in 5% of adenomas (G Chir 2001;22:26)

Invasive only if cancer has invaded through muscularis mucosa into submucosa

Recommended to NOT use “carcinoma in situ” terminology in colorectum; use either high grade dysplasia or invasive carcinoma

Can diagnose invasion without identification of submucosa if (a) marked desmoplasia, (b) infiltrative pattern, (c) ulceration or (d) clinical mass lesion

Report type of carcinoma, grade, presence of angiolymphatic invasion (tumor emboli in true endothelial lined channels away from tumor, not retraction artifact), status of resection margins (close to margin is within one high power field or 1-2 mm from diathermy or at diathermy), presence of dysplasia

Sample report #1: poorly differentiated carcinoma arising within an adenoma, extending to resection margin, no angiolymphatic invasion

Sample report #2: moderately differentiated carcinoma arising with an adenoma; tumor 2.5 cm from resection margin, no angiolymphatic invasion

Case reports: adenoma with carcinoma and mixed carcinoid-adenocarcinoma (Pathol Int 2003;53:457), with sarcoid reaction in regional lymph nodes (J Clin Gastroenterol 1999;28:377), squamous cell carcinoma arising in villous adenoma (Hum Path 1988;19:362), metastatic signet ring carcinoma in adenoma (Archives 2003;127:1509)

Treatment: polypectomy probably adequate unless margin involvement, poorly differentiated or angiolymphatic invasion (J Surg Oncol 1987;36:116)

Recurrent disease, nodal metastases or residual local disease: 20% incidence if cancer is near margin, is poorly differentiated or if angiolymphatic invasion is present

Gross images: adenocarcinoma arising in villous adenomafocal carcinoma in adenoma

Micro images: adenocarcinoma arising in tubular adenomaarising in villous adenomametastatic signet ring adenocarcinoma in adenoma

 

Adenoma-carcinoma sequence of colon

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Well characterized series of histopathologic events associated with distinct molecular alterations

There are two general pathways - chromosomal instability (abnormal number of chromosomes, not diploid) and microsatellite instability (diploid but DNA mismatch repair gene alterations)

Chromosomal instability pathway

Carcinomas arise from accumulation of mutations in various genes that initially cause adenomatous polyps (usually), some of which then acquire addition mutations and become malignant (4-10 mutations required to produce malignant phenotype)

Molecular pathway may vary in each particular tumor

Earliest event often involves APC gene (mutated in familial polyposis)

Other early events are DNA methylation changes (Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2006;45:781), which may cause oncogene activation or tumor suppression gene repression

K-ras (10% of adenomas, 50% of adenomas with severe dysplasia, 50% of carcinomas) occurs in larger but not smaller polyps

DPC4 and DCC (18q21, reduced expression in 70% of carcinomas) occur later

p53 mutations (17p, losses in 70% of carcinomas) occur late

Removing adenomas via screening colonoscopy reduces incidence of colorectal cancer (N Engl J Med 1993;329:1977)

Polyposis syndrome patients have increased risk for carcinoma (nearly 100% for familial polyposis and Gardner’s syndrome)

Villous adenomas have higher malignant risk than tubular adenomas

Microsatellite instability pathway

Some carcinomas arise without a polypoid dysplastic stage (AJCP 2006;125:132); associated with DNA mismatch repair or microsatellite instability

BRAF mutations are also associated with the microsatellite instability pathway (Gut 2004;53:1137)

Polyps with no malignant risk: solitary hyperplastic polyps, juvenile polyps and Peutz-Jegher polyps

Diagrams: diagram #1#2

References: H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, eMedicine (#413), BMJ 2000;321:886

 

Atheroemboli associated polyps of colon

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May be associated with rectal bleeding (AJSP 1991;15:1078)

Case reports: 68 year old man with diabetes and 2 year history of bloody diarrhea (AJSP 1993;17:1054), polypoid mass without clinical evidence of ischemia (Archives 1994;118:308), cholesterol emboli in polyp (J Clin Gastroenterol 1994;19:231)

Micro: edematous submucosa with superficial ulceration and atheroemboli in arterioles of submucosal polyps

 

Cap polyposis

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First described in 1985 (Br J Surg 1985; 72 (Suppl) S133)

Rare

Etiology unknown, but may be associated with mucosal prolapse (Gut 1993;34:562)

Often presents with mucoid or bloody diarrhea and hypoproteinemia

Endoscopy: multiple sessile rectosigmoid polyps with adherent white flecks, with normal intervening mucosa (Endoscopy 2001;33:262)

Case reports: Case of the Week #102

Treatment: traditionally polypectomy or partial colectomy (Dis Colon Rectum 2004;47:1208); recent case reports of dramatic results from medical treatment in patients with H. pylori gastritis (Helicobacter 2004;9:651) and using infliximab, an antibody to tumor necrosis alpha (Gastroenterology 2004;126:1868)

Gross: multiple, distinctive, inflammatory rectosigmoid polyps

Gross images: multiple colonic polyps

Micro:  inflamed mucosa with tortuous, elongated crypts, attenuated towards the mucosal surface, with granulation tissue ”cap” on the mucosal surface

Micro images: image #1#2#3#4 

DD: amebic colitis, antibiotic associated colitis, inflammatory bowel disease

 

Displaced glands / pseudoinvasion of colon

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Also called epithelial misplacement

Presence of dysplastic glands from an adenoma beneath the muscularis mucosa due to biopsy related torsion or other trauma

A low power diagnosis

Occurs in 3% of adenomas, usually with well-defined stalks

Resembles intramucosal carcinoma, but cytologic features resemble adenoma

See also below (hyperplastic polyp with misplaced epithelium)

Micro: submucosal glands surrounded by loose inflamed stroma and granulation tissue, but not desmoplastic stroma; glands may have atypia associated with adenoma but not carcinoma

Negative stains: p53, E-cadherin, type IV collagen (AJSP 2002;26:206)

References: AJSP 1993;17:1262, Cancer 1974;33:206

 

Diverticular polyp of colon

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Arises in background of diverticular disease

Usually in sigmoid colon

Part of the “mucosal prolapse” syndrome (Am J Gastroenterol 2002;97:370)

Treatment: high fiber diet is usually effective (Endoscopy 1986;18:84)

Gross: redundant or polypoid mucosal folds

Micro: mucosal hemorrhage and congestion, epithelial hyperplasia with dilated and serrated crypts and bizarre nuclei in stroma, mucosal edema, fibromuscular replacement of lamina propria with thickened and splayed muscularis mucosa; no dysplastic changes

Micro images: elongated crypts without dysplasiafigure 3: epithelial hyperplasia, inflammation, congestion and fibromuscular stroma; figure 4: smooth muscle actin staining

References: AJSP 1991;15:871, Histopathology 1993;23:63

 

Fibroblastic polyp of colon

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Initially described in 2004 (AJSP 2004;28:374)

May be due to exuberant response to tissue injury (J Clin Gastroenterol 2005;39:778)

May be early stage of inflammatory fibrous polyp (AJSP 2004;28:1397-letter)

Solitary, usually in sigmoid colon

Treatment: excision (benign behavior)

Gross: 2-4 mm

Micro: mucosal polyp composed of bland, plump spindle cells in lamina propria with fibroblastic features; spindle cells are associated with muscularis mucosa, cause separation and disorganization of colonic crypts; often associated with serrated / hyperplastic crypts; no atypia, no mitotic activity, no necrosis

Positive stains: vimentin; occasional weak/focal CD34 or smooth muscle actin

Negative stains: desmin, CD31, CD68, bcl2, c-kit, S100, EMA

EM: sparse cytoplasmic organelles, many intermediate filaments

References: Histopathology 2006;48:431

 

Flat adenoma of colon

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Also called depressed adenoma

Present in asymptomatic populations (Gut 1998;43:229)

More difficult to detect during endoscopy, but targeted indigo carmine chromoscopy or other methods are useful (article and images)

Diagnosis requires (a) classic endoscopic (gross) appearance of mucosal elevation with flat/rounded surface and height less than half the diameter, (b) not resembling a hyperplastic polyp, and (c) dysplastic changes

Another study defined flat as thickness of 1.3 mm or less or thickness less than twice normal mucosal thickness

Controversial if associated with higher risk for high grade dysplasia (no-Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2004;2:905; yes-Dis Colon Rectum 1991;34:981); risk may be higher if central depression, individual history or family history of malignancy (Dis Colon Rectum 2000;43:782), or larger lesion (Dis Colon Rectum 1985;28:847)

Endoscopic images: flat adenoma

Case reports: with deep malignant component (Virchows Arch A Pathol Anat Histopathol 1993;422:415)

Gross: flat or slightly raised plaques, often with a central depression; usually height 2 mm or less; may be multiple

Micro: plaque-like, not polypoid or exophytic; up to twice the thickness of adjacent normal epithelium; usually tubular adenomas that show superficial adenomatous changes at periphery, and centrally may extend throughout the crypt

Also associated with aberrant crypt foci (Am J Gastroenterol 2005;100:1283)

Micro images: flat adenoma with subtle merging of normal and adenomatous epitheliumflat adenomaA: flat adenoma; B: MUC2+; C: MUC1+ only focallyA: flat adenoma; B: MUC2+; C: MUC1+ at base of cryptsMUC2-left; MUC1-right

Molecular: some cases have multiple APC mutations (Eur J Hum Genet 1999;7:928)

References: Hum Path 1991;22:70, Am J Gastroenterol 2006;101:172

 

Hyperplastic polyp of colon

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90% of all polyps

Usually patients age 50+ years, often in rectosigmoid

Present in 30-50% of normal individuals (85% of adults in Western world versus 2% in third world countries)

Due to delayed shedding of surface epithelial cells

Associated with cigarette smoking (Cancer Causes Control 2005;16:1021)

Previously considered to have no/minimal malignant potential (Arch Intern Med 2005;165:382), except for those in hyperplastic polyposis syndrome

Right sided hyperplastic polyps are molecularly more similar to serrated adenomas than to left sided hyperplastic polyps, and are associated with cancers that show microsatellite instability (but see J Clin Pathol 2004;57:1089)

Intermediate (6-9 mm) sized polyps are usually right sided, and are associated with synchronous colorectal carcinoma (J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2005;20:1572)

Case reports: with small invasive carcinoma (Endoscopy 2004;36:825)

Gross: small (< 5 mm), sessile, usually on top of mucosal folds, multiple, same color as surrounding mucosa; lesions up to several cm may occur in right colon but may be serrated adenomas

Gross images: hyperplastic polyp

Micro: well formed, elongated glands and crypts with serrated (saw tooth) or star-shaped appearance resembling secretory endometrium; mixture of goblet cells (with abundant mucin) and absorptive cells; bland cytology with eosinophilic cytoplasm, well defined brush borders, basal nuclei; thickened basement membrane; Paneth cells in 8%; may have multinucleated giant cells (AJSP 2005;29:912); cells at base of crypt may have nuclear elongation, crowding and increased mitotic rate, but this is not adenomatous change; may be splaying of muscularis mucosa fibers into submucosa; large hyperplastic polyps may have adenomatous foci

Micro images: serrated crypts #1#2#3#4#5#6right sided vs. left sided polyps

Virtual slides: hyperplastic polyp

Molecular: limited changes, no relation to changes in coexisting adenomas (J Clin Pathol 2004;57:1084)

 

Hyperplastic polyp of colon with misplaced epithelium

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Also called “pseudoinvasion”

Some authorities consider it synonymous to inverted hyperplastic polyp, but others consider them different

Simulates adenoma with pseudoinvasion, but benign

Arises in left colon due to local trauma (torsion or twisting of polyp, vigorous peristalsis)

Micro: colonic epithelium in lamina propria with mixed pattern (lobules and irregularly distributed crypts) or lobular pattern; continuous with mucosal portion of polyp in deeper levels; defects are present in muscularis mucosa, and muscle fibers are splayed round misplaced epithelium; often lymphoid aggregates adjacent to misplaced epithelium, fresh hemorrhage, vascular congestion, hemosiderin deposits; usually no significant inflammation, no dysplasia

Micro images: misplaced epithelium #1#2#3#4Ki67/MIB1collagen IV

Positive stains for misplaced epithelium: Ki-67, E-cadherin, collagen IV basement membrane

References: Mod Path 2001;14:869

 

Inverted hyperplastic polyp of colon

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More frequent in right colon

May be more common in women

Case reports: associated with adenoma (Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2004;16:107), inverted hyperplastic polyposis (J Clin Pathol 1993;46:56)

Gross images: inverted polyposis

Micro: endophytic growth pattern, penetrates muscularis mucosa (AJSP 1985;9:265)

Micro images - inverted polyps #1#2 associated with submucosal adipose#3-large submucosal mucin cyst#4 with epithelial displacement to lymphoid follicleCEA+ (normal colon at upper right is CEA neg)

 

Hyperplastic polyposis of colon

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Uncommon

Also called serrated adenomatous polyposis because polyps appear to be serrated adenomas

WHO definition: (a) at least 5 histologically diagnosed hyperplastic polyps proximal to sigmoid colon, two of which are larger than 1 cm; or (b) any number of hyperplastic polyps proximal to sigmoid colon in patients with a first-degree relative with hyperplastic polyposis; or (c) more than 30 hyperplastic polyps of any size distributed throughout colorectum (Hyperplastic polyposis. Lyon: IARC Press; 2000)

High risk for colorectal carcinoma (Dis Colon Rectum 2004;47:2101, AJSP 2001;25:177); regular surveillance is recommended (Am J Gastroenterol 2004;99:2012), including family members

Case reports: associated with two synchronous carcinomas (Am J Pathol 2000;157:385), inverted hyperplastic polyposis (J Clin Pathol. 1993;46:56)

Gross: polyps are usually sessile

Gross images: inverted polyposis

Micro images: serrated adenoma in hyperplastic polyposis #1#2#3associated with synchronous carcinoma 

inverted hyperplastic polyps - #1#2 associated with submucosal adipose#3-large submucosal mucin cyst#4 with epithelial displacement to lymphoid follicleCEA+ (normal colon at upper right is CEA negative)

Molecular: extensive methylation in adenomas and in normal mucosa (Gut 2006;55:1467)

 

Inflammatory polyp of colon

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Inflamed regenerating mucosa surrounded by ulcerated tissue; also granulation tissue overlying epithelium

Associated with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis; also amebiasis, schistosomiasis, ulcer, anastomotic sites

Usually asymptomatic but may cause obstruction or hemorrhage

Benign; no increased risk of dysplasia compared to surrounding mucosa

Case reports: with ischemia (Am Surg 1993;59:315), with schistosomiasis (J Clin Gastroenterol 1983;5:169), simulating carcinoma due to multiple fused polyps (Am J Gastroenterol 1980;73:441)

Endoscopic images: inflammatory polyps in ulcerative colitis

Treatment: treat underlying inflammatory condition

Gross: smooth hyperemic or hypervascular appearance; variable surface erosion

Gross images: inflammatory pseudopolyps in ulcerative colitis #1#2#3

Micro: inflamed lamina propria and distorted colonic epithelium (branched, tortuous, elongated or cystic crypts); may have surface erosion, congestion/hemorrhage or crypt abscesses; may have bizarre stromal changes in reactive fibroblasts resembling sarcoma in a fibroblastic or granulation tissue stroma, particularly underneath areas of ulceration; no/few mitotic figures, no atypical mitotic figures, often zonation

Micro images: ulcerative colitis #1#2#3annotated imagesbizarre stromal cells

Positive stains: vimentin

Negative stains: S100, cytokeratin, CMV

DD: pyogenic granuloma (Ann Diagn Pathol 2005;9:106)

 

Giant inflammatory polyp / polyposis of colon

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Also called filiform polyposis if have long finger-like projections

Uncommon, benign

Usually associated with inflammatory bowel disease

May be diffuse (Archives 2004;128:1286)

May cause obstruction (J Gastroenterol 2005;40:536, Intern Med 1996;35:24) or intussusception (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2004;10:41),

Case reports: no history of colonic disease (Gastroenterol Clin Biol 2006;30:913, Neth J Surg 1987;39:95), with cystic fibrosis and Crohn’s disease (Pediatr Dev Pathol 2006;9:25), with Crohn’s disease (Pathol Int 2002;52:318), remission after topical budesonide (Anticancer Res 2005;25:2961)

Treatment: usually surgery (Z Gastroenterol 2000;38:845) since cannot clinically distinguish dysplastic and inflammatory polyps

Gross images: associated with protein losing enteropathyvarious images 

Micro images: various imagesfigu