What is a serrated polyp of the colon?

What is a serrated polyp of the colon?

Serrated polyps are a type of growth that stick out from the surface of the colon or rectum. The polyps are defined by their saw-toothed appearance under the microscope. They can often be hard to find. The only way to determine the types of polyps is by removing them and examining them under a microscope.

Are serrated polyps neoplastic?

Colorectal serrated polyps are intermediate lesions in the serrated neoplastic pathway, which account for up to 30% of colorectal cancers.

How common are serrated polyps?

Traditional serrated adenomas are relatively rare and predominantly left-sided, and their molecular profile is not well characterized.

Is a serrated adenoma cancerous?

A sessile serrated adenoma (SSA) is a non-cancerous growth in the colon. However, it can become cancerous if left untreated or not completely removed.

How serious is a cancerous polyp?

A colon polyp is a small clump of cells that forms on the lining of the colon. Most colon polyps are harmless. But over time, some colon polyps can develop into colon cancer, which may be fatal when found in its later stages.

What percentage of sessile serrated polyps become cancerous?

Removing polyps will reduce the risk of the polyp becoming cancerous in the future. This is an especially good idea for serrated sessile polyps. According to one study, 20 to 30 percent of colorectal cancers come from serrated polyps.

What are the different types of serrated polyps?

In an attempt to standardize the terminology, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated their classification of serrated polyps in 2010 into 3 categories: 1) hyperplastic polyps 2) sessile serrated polyps (SSP) with or without cytologic dysplasia (CD) and 3) traditional serrated adenomas [5].

Is the term SSP and sessile serrated adenoma interchangeable?

The WHO suggests the terms SSP and sessile serrated adenoma may be used interchangeably; we will use SSP in this review.

Where are the serrations in a colonic polyp?

Normal colonic crypts have regular test-tube like crypts with a smooth lumen. Hyperplastic polyps (HP) have serrations in the upper two-thirds of the crypt. In SSPs, serrations extend deeper into the crypt and the crypt base is often dilated and may have a boot or inverted “T” shape.