[Cronkhite-Canada syndrome. Epidemiology, symptoms, morphology and therapy based on a case report and literature review].

Juvenile polyposis was first described by Cronkhite and Canada in 1955. This disease is characterized by juvenile intestinal polyps and ectodermal abnormalities. The etiology of Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS), however, is still not well understood. Interestingly among patients with CCS a significant correlation (16.5%) with intestinal carcinomas has been observed. Thus, malignant transformation and/or genetic predisposition may be involved in the initiation of the disease. In the following, epidemiology, symptoms, morphology and therapy of CCS are discussed. Our examinations are based on studies reported in the literature and on a case report of a female patient who developed a colon carcinoma 2 years after initial diagnosis of CCS.