Table of Contents
Definition / general | Prognosis and treatment | Microscopic (histologic) description | Molecular / cytogenetics description | Additional referencesCite this page: Jain S. Aberrant crypt foci. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/colontumoraberrantcrypts.html. Accessed March 28th, 2024.
Definition / general
- Earliest neoplastic lesion of colon
- May predict future adenoma or carcinoma (Am J Gastroenterol 2006;101:1362, Am J Gastroenterol 2005;100:1283)
- Endoscopy: aberrent cryptic foci are stained darker than normal crypts with Methylene blue using high magnification chromoendoscopy, which helps in obtaining a targeted biopsy
Prognosis and treatment
- ACF are markers of increased colorectal cancer risk, particularly those with dysplastic features (J Surg Oncol 2008;98:207)
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Crypts are 2 - 3x larger and more dilated than normal crypts, may have a foci of dysplasia
- ACF can be subclassified as dysplastic, nondysplastic or mixed type
- Dysplastic ACF resemble adenomas
Molecular / cytogenetics description
- Dysplastic ACF are present both in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), which is the result of a germline mutation of the APC gene; and in sporadic colorectal carcinomas, due to mutations of KRAS (Am J Pathol 2005;166:1069)
Additional references