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Some peculiarities in the histology of intestinal polyps

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Diseases of the Colon & Rectum

Conclusions

Thejuvenile polyp of the rectum and colon is probably a malformation or hamartoma of the tissues of the intestinal mucosa without the participation of the muscularis mucosae. In particular, the histologic appearance suggests an abnormality of the mucosal connective tissue or lamina propria.

The intestinal polyps of the Peutz-Jeghers syndrome are hamartomatous tumors of the mucous membrane in which there is a malformation of the muscularis mucosae, tree-like in appearance. The epithelial and connective tissue elements of the polyps cover the branching bands of smooth muscle as in normal mucosa, and they are composed essentially of normal cells in their normal relationship to each other.

Solitary polyps of the small and large intestines are seen occasionally, which are histologically identical with the Peutz-Jeghers type, but without any clinical evidence of the syndrome. These are also hamartomatous in nature, and should be distinguished from true adenomatous polyps.

The histology of certain small mucosal polyps in the rectum and colon has been described. It is suggested that these should be calledmetaplastic polyps. Their nature is unknown, but there is no evidence that they are either hamartomatous or neoplastic. They should not be confused histologically with early adenomatous changes in the intestinal mucosa.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. London, England

    Basil C. Morson M.D.

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  1. Basil C. Morson M.D.
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Read at the meeting of the American Proctologic Society, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, June 21 to 24, 1961.

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Morson, B.C. Some peculiarities in the histology of intestinal polyps. Dis Colon Rectum 5, 337–344 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02616584

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02616584

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