Juvenile polyposis (JP) is an autosomal dominantly inherited syndrome that belongs to the hamartomatous polyposis group of disorders. The incidence of JP is estimated to be 1 in 100,000 persons per year. Males and females have the same incidence of disease, with Northern Europeans having a higher prevalence for JP compared to other groups (1). JP patients have a propensity to develop hamartomatous polyps throughout the colon and a subset of them also in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract, most commonly in the stomach (Figures 1, 2, 3). Patients with JP have a high risk for developing GI cancers, and therefore close screening and aggressive management should be performed.
The term juvenile polyposis refers to pathological findings in the colon polyp itself and not the age of onset in the patient; patients with juvenile polyposis can present with signs and symptoms as children or adults.
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