Polyps of the colon and rectum in children: experience with 27 cases

Summary Experience with polyps in 27 children less than 13 years of age treated at the Ochsner Clinic during a period of 16 years has been reviewed in an effort to increase our knowledge of polypoid disease. Our study indicates that these polyps are usually pedunculated and may be single, multiple or diffuse. In our series 16 children had single polyps, nine multiple polyps and two diffuse polyposis. The commonest complaint was bright red blood in the stools. Pathologically, these polyps are benign adenomas with inflammatory changes. Malignant polyps in children are rare and none were found in our series. The true malignant potential of single or scattered polyps in children is unknown, but is probably not great. All polyps in children should be removed regardless of size, mainly because of the symptoms they produce and because of their possible but unproved malignant potentiality. A positive family history may be lacking in some cases of familial polyposis. Read at the meeting of the American Proctologic Society, June 29 to July 3, 1958, Los Angeles, California.