The pathology of Cronkhite-Canada polyps. A comparison to juvenile polyposis.

We studied Cronkhite-Canada (CC) polyps from nine patients, and compared them to gastric and colonic juvenile and gastric hyperplastic polyps. The CC polyp is characterized by its broad sessile base, expanded edematous lamina propria, and cystic glands. Similar features are found in the lesions of juvenile polyposis and gastric hyperplastic polyps. The only reliable distinction between CC and colonic juvenile polyposis was the pedunculated growth of the latter; however, this feature did not hold for gastric lesions. Unlike CC polyps, juvenile polyps sometimes have areas of dysplasia, but this is not typical. Therefore the diagnosis of CC polps, especially when located in the stomach, requires the presence of the ectodermal changes characteristic of this syndrome.