Gastric fundic gland polyps and colonic polyps - is there a link, really?

BACKGROUND AND AIM

A retrospective analysis of endoscopic investigation was carried out. Gastric fundic gland polyps occur in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. The aim of our study was to investigate if colonic polyps is present and related to gastric fundic gland polyps.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A 6 years retrospective analysis was carried out. At baseline upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, gastric fundic gland polyps were diagnosed in patients suffered from intestinal bleeding. Subjects received a colonoscopy additionally. A total of 500 patients were enrolled into study: 250 fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for gastric fundic gland polyps and 250 age and sex matched served as controls.

RESULTS

Colonic cancer was more frequently observed in 39 (15.5%) patients who met the criteria of gastric fundic gland polyps as compared to 23 (9.2 %) patients of the controls (p <0.05). Patients with gastric fundic gland polyps tended to have more often colonic polyps 122 vs. 111, but these differences were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of colonic cancer was elevated in patients with gastric fundic gland polyp. Furthermore, this relationship did not differ significantly according to occurrence of colonic polyps. Even tough colonoscopy is prophylactic in preventing colonic cancer; the use of colonoscopy should be encouraged in patients with gastric fundic gland polyps.