Extracolonic manifestations of familial polyposis coli.

The original concept of familial polyposis coli (FPC) as only a genetically determined premalignant disease of the colon changed in the 1950's, with the description of Gardner's syndrome. The extracolonic manifestations of osteoma and epidermoid cyst have since been shown to be only a small part of the spectrum of both benign and malignant extracolonic manifestations of the disease. The modern concept of this condition is that FPC is a genetically determined generalized growth disorder that gives rise to tumors in various parts of the body.