Inflammatory fibroid polyps of the gastrointestinal tract: radiologic evaluation

Abstract

Inflammatory fibroid polyps (IFPs) are uncommon lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. Only scattered case reports have appeared in the radiology literature. The authors reviewed the cases of 33 patients (20 women and 13 men; average age, 45 years) to determine if these polyps had any distinctive diagnostic radiologic features. The IFPs were located in the stomach (n = 16), small bowel (n = 13), and colon (n = 4). The lesions originated in the submucosa and were composed of fibroblasts, inflammatory cells, and a network of blood vessels. Gastric IFPs were most often located in the antrum and were usually ulcerated. Most of the patients presented with clinical evidence of gastrointestinal blood loss. Small bowel polyps were usually located in the ileum, and patients were typically older women with intestinal obstruction due to intussusception. Most of the lesions appeared as large, intramural masses at radiologic examination. Some of the lesions were pedunculated, and all were solitary. There were no distinctive features to differentiate IFPs from other mural or intraluminal lesions of the gastrointestinal tract.