RECTAL POL YPS

RECTAL POL YPS

The rectum, along with the sigmoid colon, is the most frequent site of polyps (and cancers) in the gastrointestinal tract. Adenomatous polyps of the colon and rectum have the potential to become malignant. The chance of developing invasive cancer is enhanced if the polyp is more than 1 /uni00A0 cm in diameter. Removal of all polyps is recommended to allow complete histological diagnosis and exclude carcinoma. This is best done using endoscopic biopsy or snare polypectomy techniques. If one or more rectal polyps are discovered on sigmoidoscopic examination, a colonoscopy must be performed because further polyps are frequently found in the /uni00A0 colon. Theodor Maximilian Bilharz , 1825–1862, Professor of Zoology , Cairo, Egypt. colon. Polyps are described in terms of their appearance (pedunculated, sessile, flat) or histological composition (tubular, villous, tubulovillous).