What is the cause of sigmoid colon polyps?

The occurrence of sigmoid colon hyperplasia polyps is related to many factors, such as viral infection and bad living habits. People who smoke and drink for a long time may suffer from colon polyps, and the older the age, the higher the incidence rate.

1. Infection: There are reports that the occurrence of adenomatous polyps is related to viral infection;

2. Age: The incidence of colon polyps increases with age;

3. Embryonic abnormalities: Juvenile polyposis is mostly hamartoma, which may be related to abnormal embryonic development;

4. Lifestyle habits: The more fiber in the food, the less polyps there are, and vice versa. Smoking is also closely related to adenomatous polyps. People with a smoking history of less than 20 years are more likely to develop small adenomas, while those with a smoking history of more than 20 years are more likely to develop large adenomas.

5. Heredity: The occurrence of certain multiple polyps is related to heredity. Patients inherit a defective tumor suppressor gene APC allele from their parents' germ cells, while the other APC allele in the colon epithelium is normal at birth. When this allele mutates later, adenoma occurs at the mutation site. This mutation is called somatic mutation.

6. Pigmented polyposis syndrome is more common in adolescents, often with a family history, and can become cancerous, belonging to a type of hamartoma. Multiple polyps can occur throughout the digestive tract, with the small intestine being the most common. There are pigmentation on the lips and their surroundings, oral mucosa, palms, toes or fingers, which may be black spots or brown-yellow spots. Due to its extensive range, this disease cannot be cured surgically. When it is complicated by massive intestinal bleeding or intussusception, partial intestinal resection can be performed.

7. Familial intestinal polyposis is related to genetic factors, such as mutations in the APC gene on the long arm of chromosome 5. Its characteristic is that there are no polyps in infancy and childhood. It often begins to appear in young people and has a strong tendency to become cancerous. The rectum and colon are often covered with adenomas, and the small intestine is rarely involved. Sigmoidoscopy showed small pedunculated polyps throughout the intestinal mucosa. Such as rectal lesions are mild. Total colectomy and terminal ileorectal anastomosis can be performed; rectal adenomas can be removed or burned by electrocautery through a rectoscopy. To prevent residual rectal adenomas from becoming cancerous in the future, lifelong follow-up is required. If the rectal lesions are severe, the rectum should be removed at the same time and a permanent terminal ileostomy should be performed.