Familial adenomatous polyposis: desmoid tumours and lack of ophthalmic lesions (CHRPE) associated with APC mutations beyond codon 1444.

An earlier study has shown that FAP patients with mutations in codons 136-302 of the APC gene do not develop congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium (CHRPE), whereas those with mutations in codons 463-1387 regularly do. Here we present data on 36 patients from 20 families with mutations in codons 1445-1578. These patients lack CHRPE. Furthermore, with the exception of three prepubertal children all patients with mutations in codons 1445-1578 developed desmoid tumours. This relationship between certain extracolonic manifestations and site of the APC mutation points to a specific role of the APC protein in different tissues.