Wallace M H, Frayling I M, Clark S K, Neale K, Phillips R K
ICRF Colorectal Cancer Unit and The Polyposis Registry, St Mark's Hospital, Harrow, United Kingdom.
Dis Colon Rectum. 1999 Aug;42(8):1078-80. doi: 10.1007/BF02236707.
The aim of this study is to show that the diagnosis of attenuated adenomatous polyposis coli must be made with caution and certainly only after adequate colonic examination with dye-spray.
Four patients thought to have attenuated adenomatous polyposis coli on the basis of family history and the identification of fewer than 100 polyps on simple colonoscopy underwent colonoscopy with dye-spray.
All four individuals were found to have more than 100 polyps when dye-spray was used, confirming a diagnosis of classical familial adenomatous polyposis.
The diagnosis of familial adenomatous polyposis may be missed altogether or incorrectly assigned as attenuated adenomatous polyposis coli if dye-spray is not used at colonoscopy. Patients with a family history of familial adenomatous polyposis or colorectal cancer should be considered for dye-spray before the diagnosis of familial adenomatous polyposis is excluded or one of attenuated adenomatous polyposis coli is made.
