Randall G. Lee

Common Inheritance of Susceptibility to Colonic Adenomatous Polyps and Associated Colorectal Cancers

We studied 670 persons in 34 kindreds by flexible proctosigmoidoscopic examination (60 cm) to determine how frequently colorectal adenomas and cancers result from an inherited susceptibility. Kindreds were selected through either a single person with an adenomatous polyp or a cluster of relatives with colonic cancer. The kindreds all had common colorectal cancers, not the rare inherited conditions familial polyposis coli and nonpolyposis inherited colorectal cancer. Likelihood analysis strongly supported the dominant inheritance of a susceptibility to colorectal adenomas and cancers, with a gene frequency of 19 percent. According to the most likely genetic model, adenomatous polyps and colorectal cancers occur only in genetically susceptible persons; however, the 95 percent confidence interval for this proportion was 53 to 100 percent. These results suggest that an inherited susceptibility to colonic adenomatous polyps and colorectal cancer is common and that it is responsible for the majority of colonic neoplasms observed clinically. The results also reinforce suggestions that first-degree relatives of patients with colorectal cancer should be screened for colonic tumors. This evidence of an inherited susceptibility to a cancer with well-recognized environmental risk factors supports the hypothesis that genetic and environmental factors interact in the formation and transformation of polyps.

Dominant inheritance of adenomatous colonic polyps and colorectal cancer

Except in the rare polyposis syndromes, the contribution of heritable factors to the genesis of colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps is not well understood. We examined the inheritance of susceptibility to colonic polyps and cancer in a large Utah pedigree with multiple cases of common colorectal cancer but no recognizable inheritance pattern among them. Inheritance was clarified, however, by systematic screening for colonic polyps in pedigree members and spouse controls, using flexible proctosigmoidoscopy. One or more adenomatous polyps were found in 21 per cent of family members (41 of 191) but in only 9 per cent of controls (12 of 132) (P less than 0.005). Pedigree analysis was performed with likelihood methods that compared random occurrence of cancer and polyps with autosomal recessive and autosomal dominant patterns of inheritance. The analysis suggested that the observed excess of discrete adenomatous polyps and colorectal cancers was the result of an inherited autosomal dominant gene for susceptibility, rather than an inherited recessive gene for susceptibility or a chance occurrence. This type of inheritance of colorectal polyps and cancer may be more common than previously recognized.

High prevalence of adenomatous polyps of the duodenal papilla in familial adenomatous polyposis

Eighteen consecutive asymptomatic patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (both familial polyposis coli and Gardners syndrome) were studied over a 12-month period; side-viewing upper endoscopy and biopsy were used to assess the frequency of adenomatous polyps of the duodenal papilla. Nine of the 18 patients demonstrated adenomatous polyps of the papilla, varying in size and appearance from microadenomas in normalappearing duodenal papillae (two) to a sessile polyp 3 cm in diameter. Two were tubulovillous adenomas (0.5 cm and 2 cm in diameter) and the remainder were tubular adenomas. Severe atypia and malignancy were not encountered. These findings reveal that adenomas of the duodenal papilla are common in individuals with familial adenomatous polyposis. Because of these findings and because of the known risk of periampullary adenocarcinomas and nonmalignant complications of polyps of the duodenal papilla in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis, upper gastrointestinal screening of such patients should include examination of the duodenal papilla with a side-viewing endoscope.

Villous Adenoma of the Duodenal Papilla Presenting as Necrotizing Pancreatitis in a Patient With Gardner's Syndrome

The majority of patients with Gardners syndrome and familial polyposis coli develop duodenal adenomatous polyps. Duodenal cancer sometimes arises in this setting, but nonmalignant problems from duodenal polyps have not been described. This report presents a patient with Gardners syndrome who developed hemorrhagic pancreatitis and was found to have a villous adenoma encasing the pancreatic duct at the duodenal papilla. The case is important because it suggests that patients with polyposis coli may be at risk for significant nonmalignant problems from duodenal polyps, particularly if polyps exhibit villous histology and occur at the duodenal papilla.

Granulocytic sarcoma of the prostate. Two cases causing urinary obstruction

Two cases of patients with prostatic granulocytic sarcoma in whom urinary obstruction occurred are presented. The diagnosis was made by tissue examination with hematoxylin and eosin and specific esterase stains. One patient had a myelodysplastic syndrome and the other patient had acute myeloblastic leukemia. In both cases the diagnosis of prostatic granulocytic sarcoma was unexpected. Granulocytic sarcomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of urinary obstruction in patients with myeloperoliferative or myelodysplastic syndromes. Cancer 59:142–146, 1987.

Quantitation of colonic injury from argon laser, neodymium: YAG laser and monopolar electrocautery applied to flat mucosa and small sessile polyps of the canine colon

This study determined the optimum laser energy for ablation of colonic mucosal lesions and small sessile polyps in the canine colon. Neodymium (Nd):YAG laser, argon laser, and monopolar electrocautery were applied to exposed canine colonic mucosa for various application times at various power settings. At the minimum energy level necessary to ablate mucosa, the Nd:YAG laser caused greater muscularis injury than the argon laser and monopolar electrocautery. At higher energy levels, monopolar electrocautery and Nd:YAG laser caused greater muscularis injury than argon laser. Small surgically created polyps in the canine colon were ablated endoscopically with the three energy sources. Single-session complete polyp ablation occurred most frequently with Nd:YAG laser and least frequently with argon laser. The depth of tissue injury beneath polyp ablation sites was least with argon laser and greatest with Nd:YAG laser. This study suggests that the argon laser is safer than the Nd:YAG laser or monopolar electrocautery for coagulation of flat colonic mucosal lesions. Although the argon laser is safer for the coagulation of small sessile colonic polyps, it may be less effective than monopolar electrocautery or the Nd:YAG laser for the single-session fulguration of polyps greater than 5 mm in diameter.