Colorectal cytology in chronic ulcerative colitis Journal Article


Authors: Festa, V. I.; Hajdu, S. I.; Winawer, S. J.
Article Title: Colorectal cytology in chronic ulcerative colitis
Abstract: During a period of ten years, 109 colorectal cytology specimens were obtained from 41 patients with chronic ulcerative colitis. There were 28 male and 13 female patients, whose average age was 45 years. All patients were symptomatic and had ulcerative colitis with repeated attacks of profuse diarrhea on the average for 12 years prior to their first cytologic examination. Eight cytology specimens were positive for malignant cells, 35 had atypia, 58 were negative and 8 were unsatisfactory. The malignant cells showed marked anisocytosis, pleomorphism and nuclear hyperchromasia and appeared in loosely cohesive clusters or in single forms in an inflammatory and necrotic background. Subsequent colectomy revealed invasive carcinoma in five patients and carcinoma in situ in two. Smears that were negative or showed atypia contained abundant chronic inflammatory cells. The atypical colonic epithelial cells contained prominent nuclei and formed cohesive clusters. Surgical biopsy and/or segmental resection revealed the presence of polyps, pseudopolyps, polypoid hyperplasia, mucosal atypia and crypt abscesses in patients with atypical and negative cytologic findings. It is concluded that cytologic examination of the colon can play an important role in the examination of patients with ulcerative colitis and allows for the detection of malignant transformation of the colonic mucosa.
Keywords: adolescent; adult; aged; major clinical study; colorectal cancer; adenocarcinoma; cytology; colonic neoplasms; biopsy; histology; diagnosis; colon resection; ulcerative colitis; malignant transformation; colon; cytodiagnosis; rectum; precancerous conditions; middle age; colon mucosa; large intestine; colitis, ulcerative; atypia; pleomorphism; human; male; female; priority journal; anisocytosis
Journal Title: Acta Cytologica
Volume: 29
Issue: 3
ISSN: 0001-5547
Publisher: S. Karger AG  
Date Published: 1985-05-01
Start Page: 262
End Page: 268
Language: English
PUBMED: 3859123
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- Export Date: 26 October 2021 -- Source: Scopus
Citation Impact
MSK Authors
  1. Sidney J Winawer
    274 Winawer
  2. Steven I. Hajdu
    80 Hajdu