Giant Filiform Polyposis, A Rare Entity in a Patient of Ulcerative Colitis: A Case Report.

Zafar Ali,Salma Iltaf

doi:10.7759/cureus.6125

Abstract

Filiform polyposis (FP) of the colon is a distinct and uncommon entity that is occasionally encountered in patients with a history or evidence of inflammatory bowel disease. It is morphologically characterized by multiple, slender, worm-like projections consisting of submucosal cores lined with normal mucosa. Here, we report a case of FP in a 43-year-old middle-aged man with a history of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis).

Highlights

Filiform polyposis (FP) is most frequently secondary to a post-inflammatory reparative process and may occur in 10%-20% of the cases of inflammatory bowel disease in which chronic inflammation of the large bowel mucosa with repeated ulceration and healing may lead to the formation of worm-like polypoid projections [1,2,3]
Polyps coalesce and a large tumor mass, which may measure over 15 mm, known as giant filiform polyposis (GFP), is found
We report a case of previously undiscovered polyposis in the entire colon, with a definite history of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), i.e ulcerative colitis

Summary

Introduction

Filiform polyposis (FP) is most frequently secondary to a post-inflammatory reparative process and may occur in 10%-20% of the cases of inflammatory bowel disease in which chronic inflammation of the large bowel mucosa with repeated ulceration and healing may lead to the formation of worm-like polypoid projections [1,2,3]. FP typically presents as one to hundreds of uniform, slender, arborizing, vermiform projections of the bowel mucosa and submucosa lined by normal or inflamed mucosa. These polyps are thin, straight-shaped, resembling the stalk of polyps without the heads. The patient presented with per rectum bleeding, no family history of colon polyps, colon cancer, or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). He received steroid therapy for an unknown period on a clinical basis and remained symptomatic. No dysplasia or malignancy was observed in the mucosa covering the polyps or surrounding them

Discussion

Conclusions

Disclosures