Studies on the difference of background mucosa among single advanced carcinoma and benign diseases of the large intestine, and familial polyposis coli.

The entire lengths of fixed specimens from 17 single advanced carcinomas of the colon (Cancer Group), four benign lesions (Benign Group), and four familial polyposis coli (Polyposis Group) were step-sectioned. It was found that the tubules of the basal cells were densely packed with rather a small number of goblet cells in the cancer and benign lesion specimens, but clear and loose with completely differentiated goblet cells in the polyposis coli specimens. Microscopic adenomas that were macroscopically unrecognizable and only microscopically detectable were found in 16 lesions in the Cancer Group, one lesion in the Benign Group, and in numerous lesions in the Polyposis Group. All of them developed from the basal cells. These findings indicate that the colonic mucosa of patients in the Cancer and Benign Groups is similar, but differs from that of the Polyposisis Group, and that microscopic adenomas are not uncommon in the Non-Polyposis Groups (Cancer and Benign Groups), findings which were not previously known.