Fundic gland polyposis in patients without familial adenomatosis coli: its incidence and clinical features

Abstract

Thirty-five cases of fundic gland polyposis detected by roentgenographic examination, gastrofiberscopy, and endoscopic biopsy were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of 23 cases without familial adenomatosis coli and is termed the nonadenomatosis coli group; the second group contained 12 cases with familial adenomatosis coli and is termed the familial adenomatosis coli group. Incidence of fundic gland polyposis was only 0.085% (23 of 27,000 cases) in the non-adenomatosis coli group but 38.7% (12 of 31 cases) in the familial adenomatosis coli group. In both groups, fundic gland polyps were multiple, small (less than 8 mm in diameter), and located in the body and fundus of the stomach. A solitary or large polyp was occasionally observed in the non-adenomatosis coli group. Histologic examination revealed simple hyperplasia of the fundic glands and microcysts in both groups. The age range was 51.6 +/- 12.3 yr (mean +/- SD) in the non-adenomatosis coli group and 25.3 +/- 8.6 yr in the familial adenomatosis coli group. The ratio of males to females was 5:18 in the non-adenomatosis coli group, and 7:5 in the familial adenomatosis coli group. The number of fundic gland polyps was smaller in the non-adenomatosis coli group than in the familial adenomatosis coli group. Our observations suggest that this lesion frequently coexists with familial adenomatosis coli, but that it is not specific to this disease.