The Most Common Types Of Colon Polyps And Polyp Disorders

MYH-Associated Polyposis

MYH-associated polyposis is an inherited condition characterized by an increased risk of colorectal cancer development and numerous adenomatous colon polyps. This condition is essentially a mild type of familial adenomatous polyposis, as patients typically develop fewer polyps than others affected by FAP. Hundreds of thousands of polyps develop in individuals with traditional familial adenomatous polyposis, while less than one hundred polyps develop in individuals affected by MYH-associated polyposis. This condition is caused by an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance of a mutation in an individual's MYH gene. Other manifestations that occur in MYH-associated polyposis patients include gastric fundic gland polyps, thyroid disease, thyroid nodules, kidney cancer, and duodenal polyps. Genetic testing and polyp biopsy can confirm a diagnosis of this condition. Most individuals affected by MYH-associated polyposis develop colon or rectal cancer between fifty and seventy years old. It is estimated that around half of all individuals affected by this condition will have colorectal cancer at the time they are diagnosed. Treatment includes the removal of polyps and frequent colonoscopy cancer screening starting at age twenty.