A posterior view of a tubulovillous adenoma in the colon.
If you have ever had a colonoscopy then your doctor may have informed you that they found a number of polyps.
Polyps are slow growing lumps of tissue that grow on the inside wall of the colon and protrude, often from stalks, into the lumen of the colon like tiny mushrooms.
They are most often benign but can be an early warning sign for colorectal cancer.
To the naked eye, most polyps look similar but they can be classified based upon their microscopic appearance which means that it is important to biopsy a polyp to determine exactly what it is.
Some polyps may be described as tubular adenomas. These types of polyps look like that are composed of the many numerous tubular glands that line the rest of the colon. Except they look more irregular and contain few of the mucous secreting goblet cells you would expect to find in a regular intestinal gland (crypt of Lieberkuhn). The legs, arm and butt in the image left are the tubular gland part of this adenoma.
Some polyps may be described as being a villous adenoma. These look more shaggy/lumpy grossly. They look like this because under the microscope you will find that they are composed of many long, branching finger-like projections called villi. Villi are not a typical finding in the colon and imply a faster rate of polyp growth.
A polyp that has features of both types is often referred to by doctors as a 'tubulovillous' adenoma.
It is important to know the type of adenoma causing the polyp because villous adenoma have a higher chance of becoming cancer quicker than tubular adenomas.
Original 📷: @DrMoeAtieh [Twitter]
