Increased prevalence of colonic polyps and altered lymphocyte subset pattern in the colonic <i>lamina propria</i> in acromegaly

Abstract

The results of this study confirm that acromegalics are at increased risk of colonic polyps compared to the healthy population. The increased prevalence of premalignant polyps, namely the adenomatous type, suggests that acromegalics should undergo a careful screening and follow-up by pancolonoscopy. An impairment of mucosal immune surveillance seems to exist in acromegaly although a causal effect in the polyp formation cannot be ruled out.