Familial polyposis coli and its extracolonic manifestations.

A detailed clinical study of 30 families with familial polyposis coli is presented. Seven 'isolated' cases are also described. It was found that some families did not exhibit any extracolonic manifestations, but the majority of families showed various numbers of members who had these manifestations of differing types and degrees. In view of the great variability within the members of a family, polyposis coli and the Gardner syndrome are probably both produced by one pleiotropic gene. The occurrence of other neoplastic phenomena in association with polyposis coli has been considered. Many types of malignancy can occur in these patients and their families and the majority are probably fortuitous. The consistent finding of an association with medulloblastoma is such as to make this association of significance, but no reason is known for this. It is suggested that the term 'Turcot syndrome' should be used in a more restrictive manner than at present.