NATURAL-HISTORY OF FUNDIC GLAND POLYPOSIS WITHOUT FAMILIAL ADENOMATOSIS-COLI - FOLLOW-UP OBSERVATIONS IN 31 PATIENTS

PURPOSE: To clarify the natural history of fundic gland polyposis (FGP ) without familial adenomatosis coli (FAC) MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thir ty-one FGP patients without FAC (six men and 25 women) were followed u p with radiography and endoscopy for 1-13 years (mean, 4.3 years). RES ULTS: In eight of 11 patients who initially had a single polyp, the po lyp disappeared, probably due to endoscopic forceps biopsy. Of 20 pati ents with multiple polyps, seven (one man and six women with a mean ag e of 40.6 years at initial diagnosis) had obvious changes in the numbe r of polyps, including complete disappearance in three patients, a dec rease in one, transient disappearance followed by recurrence in two, a nd an increase in one. These patients were younger and had a greater n umber of polyps at initial diagnosis than the remaining 16 patients wi thout any remarkable change. CONCLUSION: FGP without FAC is characteri zed by spontaneous decrease or increase in the number of polyps, espec ially in middle-aged female patients with a large number of polyps.