An asymptomatic tubular villous adenoma in a young male: A case report

Abstract

Polyps of the colon are a common occurrence, and whose incidence increases with age.  Polyps have the ability to transform into neoplasms, and the polyp’s likelihood of becoming cancerous is closely related to its size.  The larger a polyp grows, the more likely it is to become cancerous. Once a polyp reaches 2 cm, the risk of malignant transformation is in excess of 20%. There are several subtypes of polyps: tubular, villous, or tubulovillous. Villous adenomas are the most likely to transform, whereas tubular adenomas carry the least risk.  Symptoms range from anemia and constipation, to abdominal pain and obstruction, depending on the size and location of the lesion. As a general rule, the larger the size of the polyp, the likelihood for pain and obstruction increases. Herein we present a case of a young patient presenting with mild anemia who was found to have a giant tubulovillous adenoma.