What Are Polyps? Commonly occurring, they are
About 1%
experienced by up to 10% of women.
A polyp is an They may have a large flat base
abnormal growth (sessile) or be attached to the uterus
of tissue by an elongated pedicle
projecting from a (pedunculated).Pedunculated polyps
mucous are more common than sessile ones.
membrane. If it is They range in size from a few
attached to the millimeters to several centimeters. If
surface by a pedunculated, they can protrude
narrow elongated through the cervix into the vagina.
stalk it is said to be pedunculated. If no Small blood vessels may be present in
stalk is present it is said to be sessile. A polyps, particularly large ones.
polyp is a projecting mass of
overgrown tissue. It looks a lot like an Cervical Polyp
inflated balloon, with the part you tie
A cervical polyp is
off attached to wherever it's growing
a common benign
from.
polyp or tumor on
Are There Classifications Of the surface of the
cervical canal.
Polyps? They can cause
irregular
Endometrial Polyp
menstrual
bleeding or
An endometrial polyp or uterine polyp
increased pain but often show no
is a polyp or lesion in the lining of the
uterus (endometrium) that takes up symptoms. Treatment consists of
space within the uterine cavity. simple removal of the polyp and
prognosis is generally good.
of cervical polyps will show neoplastic
change which may lead to cancer. They
are most common in post-menstrual,
pre-menopausal women who have
given birth.
Adenomatous Polyps
Adenomatous polyps, or adenomas,
are polyps that grow on the lining of
the colon and which carry a high risk of
cancer. The adenomatous polyp is
considered pre-malignant, likely to
develop into colon cancer. The other
types of polyps that can occur in the
colon are the hyperplastic and
inflammatory polyps. They are unlikely
to develop into colorectal cancer.
About 50 per cent of people aged 60
will have at least one adenomatous
polyp of 1 cm diameter or
greater.Multiple adenomatous polyps
often result in familial polyposis coli or
familial adenomatous polyposis, a
condition that carries a very high risk
of colon cancer.
Adenomas comprise approximately
10% of polyps. Most polyps
(approximately 90%) are small, usually
less than 1 cm in diameter, and have a
small potential for malignancy. The
remaining 10% of adenomas are larger
than 1 cm and approach a 10% chance
of containing invasive cancer.
What Usually Causes Polyps?
Most
polyps,
with the
exception of the inflammatory
pseudopolyps, result from some form
of genetic mutation in one of the colon
lining cells. Fortunately, several,
probably at least five, mutations are
needed in the same cell before cancer
occurs and most benign polyps
probably only have one gene mutated.
DNA damage occurs surprisingly often.
As colon polyps are common in developing colon polyps and colon
industrialized countries, it is believed cancer. Moreover in some studies,
that the lifestyle and dietary choices higher body mass was positively
play an important role in developing associated with an increased risk of
any type of colon polyp. Adenomatous adenomas leading to colon cancer
polyps are associated with high fat
diets, diets that are high in red meat, How Do I Identify If I Have
low fiber diets, smoking and obesity.
Colonic Polyps?
Genetics and age are risk factors of
developing adenomas. Adenomatous Although most colonic polyps are
polyps are rare in people younger than asymptomatic, the symptoms and their
40 years and their incidence increases
with age. Yet, the risk of developing
adenomas and colon cancer increases
if the patient has a family history of
polyps or colorectal cancer.
Individuals suffering from genetic
disorders such as familial
adenomatous polyposis, Hereditary
Non-Polyposis Colon Cancer (HNPCC)
or Cowden disease have an increased
risk of developing adenomas and
colorectal cancer.
severity depends upon the size of the
The family history appears to become polyp. Commonly, symptomatic polyps
an increased risk of developing colon also present with a lower GI bleeding
polyps particularly when they are which may range from occult bleeding,
diagnosed before the age of 60. Also, as detected by fecal occult testing to
smoking and an unhealthy lifestyle frank blood per rectum.
may be accounted as risks of
Adenomatous polyps however tend to
cause symptoms when they are 2 cm
or more in diameter. In these cases,
the most common symptom is rectal
bleeding. Large polyps may also cause
profuse watery diarrhea, which can
result in severe potassium deficiency
causing muscle weakness.
Symptoms of adenomas include
irregular bowel movements including
diarrhea or constipation and dark
patches of blood in the stool.
Treatment
Some studies have demonstrated that
medical treatment with nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs)
decreases
the
number
and the
size of
colonic
polyps.[24]
One study
suggests
that
aspirin
may be
beneficial in reducing the incidence of Multiple adenomas, often associated
recurrent colonic polyps, particularly with familial adenomatous polyposis,
advanced colonic polyps in select are treated with colonic resection.
patients with a high risk of colon Also, large sessile polyps or recurrent
cancer and an acceptably low risk of polyps are also cured with colonic
gastrointestinal bleeding or resection. The procedure may include
hemorrhagic stroke. Also, consumption a total colectomy, subtotal colectomy
of calcium and folate may confer a with rectal sparing, or segmental
modest protective effect, particularly resection
in patients with a history of colonic
polyps and low basal consumption
levels.
The main treatment for adenomas and
other types of colon polyps is
colonoscopic polypectomy or colonic
resection. Adenomatous polyps may
be found during colonoscopies and
removed at the same time, depending
on their number, type and size. A
solitary pedunculated adenoma is
usually removed during a colonoscopy
and this is generally curative. Yet,
when a single adenomatous polyp is
found, there is an increased risk that
others will also develop.
Although the recurrence rate is small,
colonoscopy is recommended as
follow-up treatment.