Results of the Malmö Technique of Colon Examination

A special modification of the double-contrast method of colon examination has been used routinely in Malmö for the past 13 years, and more than 36,000 examinations have been made. The method has been extremely valuable in the early diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, regional colitis, and polyps. Polypoid tumors were found in 3,101 (12.5%) of 24,783 patients. This figure correlated with the incidence of polypoid tumors found at autopsy. Certain characteristics are useful in determining the malignancy of a polyp and criteria for operative intervention. On the basis of x-ray findings, 1,062 patients were operated upon. In 204 cases, polyps were definitely malignant, and 855 showed a more or less marked cellular atypia. The importance of the diagnosis of so-called sentinel polyps and of the routine follow-up examinations after surgery is stressed.