A case of multiple carcinomas of the colon and rectum associated with ulcerative colitis

The present paper describes a patient with four independent carcinomas associated with ulcerative colitis. Subtotal colectomy with lymph node dissection was done on June 28, 1978. The operative specimen revealed a carcinoma at the descending colon, two independent cancerous lesions and papillary polyps at the sigmoid colon and a scirrhous, flat elevated neoplasm at the rectum. These carcinomas were surrounded by lesions of various degrees of epithelial dysplasia, suggesting precancerous change. Carcinomas and precancerous lesions were stained for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) by the CEA peroxidase antiperoxidase method, which is considered to be useful to discriminate precancerous change from an inflamed mucous membrane.