Inflammatory fibroid polyp. Review of the literature.

Inflammatory fibroid polyp is a rare polypoid lesion of the gastrointestinal tract, histologically characterized by a mixture of proliferation of fibroblasts and small blood vessels, accompanying a marked eosinophilic infiltrate. The lesion largely affects adults and is more common in the antrum of the stomach, but have occasionally been reported in the small bowel and colon. Clinical symptoms are variable, depending on the location and size of the lesion. Although it is generally believed to represent a reactive, nonneoplastic condition, their histogenesis remains controversial. The pathological features, hypothesis about pathogenesis and etiology, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical findings are discussed in this review of the literature.