Table 1.
Basic characteristics of benign colorectal polyps
| Benign Colorectal Polyps | ||
|---|---|---|
| Basic Shapes | ||
Pedunculated—broad body with a narrow stalk, most common  | Sessile—raised body, no stalk, difficult to locate  | |
| Common Types With Description | ||
| Subtypes of adenomatous polyps | ||
| Adenomatous | Increased likelihood of cancer progression | Tubular—small, pedunculated; with tube-shaped crypts on microscopic exam Villous—large, sessile, elongated villi (velvety appearance) Tubulovillous—differing morphologies in different parts of the polyp |
| Hyperplastic | Overgrowth of cells; low chance of cancer progression | |
| Inflammatory | Associated with inflammatory response (ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease) | |
| Harmartomatous | Overgrowth of normal-appearing tissue; hereditary association (Peutz-Jeghers) | |
| Sessile serrated | Histologically similar to hyperplastic; increased risk of malignant transformation | |