Hamartomatous polyps in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. A light-, histochemical, and electron-microscopic study.

Multiple hamartomatous polyps from two patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome were studied using histochemical, electron-microscopic, and light-microscopic means. Using normal intestinal mucosa as control, mucosubstances containing sulfate, hexose and glycogen, as well as neutral and acid mucins, were detected. Electron-microscopic findings in different cellular populations of hamartomatous and normal mucosa were also evaluated. The results indicated the hamartomatous nature of such polypoid formations in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. Review of the literature supports the possibility of genetic predisposition of these patients to develop unusual types of neoplasms in unexpected localizations.