[Are filiform fibromas of the skin a marker for colonic neoplasia?]

Abstract

750 consecutive out-patients undergoing diagnosis for possible disease of the colon but no history of colon neoplasia were examined for skin tags (achrocordons). They were found in 257 patients, in 30 as multiple (greater than five) lesions. Benign adenoma of the colon was found with similar frequency in patients with (27.6%) and without (22.1%) tags. However, colon carcinoma was twice as frequent in patients with skin tags (8.2%) than controls (4.1%). Patients with multiple tags had an even higher risk of colon carcinoma (odds ratio 7.8; 95% confidence limits 2.2-24.4; P less than 0.01) and a slightly increased risk of benign colon adenoma (odds ratio 2.4; 95% confidence limits 0.9-6.0; P less than 0.05). Whether this association is important in the diagnosis of colon tumours should be tested further by investigating healthy subjects with skin tags.