Role of upper gastrointestinal surveillance in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis.

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an inherited autosomal-dominant disease in which hundreds and thousands of adenomas with malignant potential are found throughout the colon and rectum. An increased risk for benign and malignant upper gastrointestinal neoplasia has long been recognized in patients with FAP. In this article, the authors report their findings from a study of 35 registered patients to assess the prevalence, anatomic distribution, depth of invasion, and natural history of upper gastrointestinal tumors in patients with FAP.