Colonie Polyps in Patients with Acromegaly

doi:10.1059/0003-4819-97-1-27

Colonie Polyps in Patients with Acromegaly

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Abstract

Seventeen patients with acromegaly were prospectively studied with barium enemas and colonoscopy to investigate the possibility that acromegaly is associated with an increased frequency of colonic polyps and colon cancer. Polyps were identified in nine patients and were removed and examined in eight. In five patients the polyps were adenomatous, and in four of the five there were multiple polyps. The presence of polyps closely correlated with the presence of skin tags (p = 0.041) and also with the age of the patient (p < 0.01). No new cases of colonic cancer were discovered; however, reviewing the records of 44 patients with acromegaly, four cases were previously diagnosed with colon carcinoma. This study identifies a unique group of patients that are at risk for the development of colonic polyps and perhaps colon cancer.

Article and Author Information

▸ From the Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and the Pittsburgh Veterans Administration Hospital; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Grant support: in part by Health Research Services Foundation grant W83, and grant 5-T32AM07052. Dr. Klein is a Research Associate of the Veterans Administration. Dr. VanThiel is the recipient of a career development award from the National Institute of Mental, K01-WA-00016.
▸ Requests for reprints should be addressed to Irwin Klein, M.D.; University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, 961 Scaife Hall; Pittsburgh, PA 15261.