Spectrum of gastrointestinal polyps: A tertiary care hospital experience of five years

Introduction: Polyps of gastrointestinal tract are not uncommon specimens received in surgical pathology laboratory. With advent of advanced endoscopy it is now possible to precisely sample polyps and determine its nature; weather benign, malignant or with malignant potential. Present study was performed with aim to study incidences of various histological types of polyps of gastrointestinal tract, to study its clinical presentation and to study polyps in relation to their size and site, in a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: A retrospective and prospective analysis of 189 cases of gastrointestinal polyps was carried out over a period of eight and half years. Relevant clinical details of patient, size, number, size and presence of stalk etc. were noted. Specimens were studied for gross and microscopic examination after fixation of specimen with 10% formalin and microscopically examining H & E slides. They were classified according to site and various histological types. Results: Overall, we analysed 189 cases of gastrointestinal polyps. Commonest site was large intestine and commonest type was Juvenile polys, followed by neoplastic polyps, hyperplastic polyps, inflammatory pseudo polyps, hamartomatous polyps, inflammatory fibroid polyps and 2 cases of Familial polyposis coli were note. Conclusion: Present study reveals that gastrointestinal tract had wide spectrum of non-neoplastic as well as neoplastic polyps. They have different clinical significances and therapeutic implications. Histopathology play pivotal role in arriving at final diagnosis which enables to study detail incidences and helps to differentiate non-neoplastic diseases with clinical presentation of malignancy. Incidence of various polyps in based on institutional data and may not reflect incidence of state or nation.