PROLAPSE-INDUCED INFLAMMATORY POLYPS OF THE COLORECTUM AND ANAL TRANSITIONAL ZONE

A clinicopathological study of polypoid lesions of the lower gastroint estinal tract from 12 patients was undertaken. Clinically, the majorit y had signs and symptoms of rectal prolapse despite having a variety o f other primary diagnoses (e.g. carcinoma of the bowel or diverticular disease). Three patients were asymptomatic. The polyps were more comm on in females and were usually solitary. Histologically, fibrin 'caps' , fibromuscular hypertrophy and obliteration of the lamina propria, go blet cell hypertrophy and serrated tubules were consistently noted. Th e fibromuscular tissue often extended into the lamina propria in a rad ial fashion. This study shows that mucosal prolapse underpins a variet y of lesions that are part of a histological spectrum of changes. Infl ammatory cloacogenic polyps, inflammatory 'cap polyps, polypoid prolap sing mucosal folds of diverticular disease and inflammatory myoglandul ar polyps are all due to mucosal prolapse.