Treatment of children with diffuse polyposis of the colon]

In 1971-1990 the authors treated 41 children 3 to 15 years of age with diffuse familial polyposis of the colon (juvenile form). Forty-four operations were carried out (3 patients underwent the second operation. The authors conducted several variants of colon resection with due account for the sites of greatest accumulation of the polyps--resection of the sigmoid colon, hemicolectomy, combined resection. Progressive growth of polyps was encountered in the remaining areas in the late-term periods. In view of this, the authors recommend total colectomy with the creation of an ileorectal or ileoanal anastomosis as the method of choice. The article describes an original operative method suggested by the authors. Twenty-eight similar operations were performed with good results.