What are rectal polyps?

Rectal polyps are a type of benign rectal tumor, which usually appear as a single tumor, but in a few cases appear as multiple tumors. Rectal polyps are relatively common in clinical practice and can be cured with timely treatment. There are many causes of rectal polyps. Learn more about the specific causes below.

1. Inflammatory irritation: Long-term chronic inflammation of the rectal mucosa can cause polypoid granulomas on the intestinal mucosa. Because of long-term inflammation of the rectum, there is still an edematous and congested mucosal area in the center of the ulcer surface. Scars are formed after the surrounding ulcers heal and gradually shrink, causing the remaining mucosa to bulge and the surface to appear polyp-like; or the ulcer causes granulation tissue to protrude and then grow adjacent to the mucosa, covering it to form a polyp. This pathological change is more common in inflammatory polyps.

2. Gene mutation and genetic factors: Current research at home and abroad shows that the formation of adenomatous polyps is closely related to gene mutation and genetic factors. For example, the adenomatous polyposis coli gene (APC) is a tumor suppressor gene. Gene mutations can cause familial adenomatous polyposis lesions and colon and rectal cancer.

3. Dietary factors: More than 40% fat in the diet is an important factor in the formation of colorectal polyps. If fat intake does not exceed 15% of the diet, the incidence of colorectal polyps is lower. A high-fat diet can increase bile acid in the colon and rectum.

4. The causes of rectal polyps are complex, and their onset may be related to the following factors. For example, familial adenomatous polyposis is inherited by autosomal dominant traits, and patients often have a family history of the disease. Traditional Chinese medicine regards genetic factors as one of the factors transmitted by the fetus, and genetic factors are related to innate endowment. Genetic factors affect the occurrence of diseases in two ways. First, genetic factors affect the type of constitution. Different types of constitutions have different susceptibility and tolerance to external evils in the acquired world, so the occurrence of diseases is also different. Second, in the process of human inheritance, certain diseases that occur in parents are also inherited by their offspring accordingly. Some polyps can be caused by bacteria, parasites, etc. infecting the rectal mucosa, and polyps are caused by the proliferation of intestinal inflammatory lesions, such as intestinal tuberculosis, intestinal schistosomiasis, ulcerative colitis, etc.