Gastrointestinal polypoid lesions in childhood

OST authorities agree that polypoid le-M sions of the alimentary tract in children are encountered frequently.Their exact incidence is unknown, as most of the statistics involving a large number of case5 were compiled from symptomatic children.Helwig i eviewed 449 consecutive autopsies performed upon persons under 21 years of age and fourid five adenomas of the large intestine.H e stated that the incidence was 3.5 per cent in the first decade and 2.5 per cent in the second decade.Gross has studied polyps from the inteqtine, colon, and rectum of 203 patients lrom the year 1931 to 1950.He believed that they are rarely discovered in the first year of life and that they are most lrequerit between the ages of 2 and 8 )ears, with a peak incidence at 4 or 5 years of age.Kerr examined 319 children presenting with bowel symptom and fouiicl one or more polyps in 100 ol them, Sixty-eight of the children had one pohp and thii ty-two had more than one, iisually two or three.Ninety-eight of this group were 1 1 yeais old 01 vounger, with an n u a g e age of 3.4 years.Our interest in childhood polyps was stimulated by the observation of the peculiar rnicroscopic pattern these lesions so consistently exhibited.Because the most detailed study in Euglisli of tumors of this type was based upon Helwiq's five cases, it seemed to 11s that a review of twenty-five case? of childhood intestinal polyps submitted to our wrgical patholopv department would be of value.T h e French literature containq a paper by Bensaude et al.with observations upon forty-two polyps in children, but it is unfortunately rather brief and poorly illustratcd.Furthermore, we felt it worthwhile to investigate any differences that might exist between these childhood polyps, a control group of polyps in adults, and a small series or cases of multiple polyposis that includcd both children arid adults.Particular attention was focu3ed upon any evidence