Adenomatous polyposis

Published: 03/25/2012

Authors: Adefna R and Izquierdo F

A 43-year-old woman without previous medical history presented with bloody diarrhoea and recurrent abdominal pain for the last six months. Physical examination revealed blood on rectal examination, with a tumour at 5 cm from the anal margin. Colonoscopy uncovered hundreds of polyps throughout the colon and rectum. Biopsies were taken showing a rectal adenocarcinoma and a focus of adenocarcinoma in the sigmoid polyp. A total proctocolectomy with creation of an end ileostomy was performed. The patient recovered uneventfully. Histopathological examination confirmed multiple adenomatous large bowel polyps of various sizes, one of them with foci of adenocarcinoma. The rectal adenocarcinoma is also demonstrated (arrow).