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Polyp vs Dysplasia

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 9/12/2013 12:36 PM (GMT 0)
Ok so ever since my doctor has freaked me out about dysplasia by saying if you get it it's an automatic removal of the colon and a bag.  confused    I have been researching like a mad woman!  I can't find what the difference between dysplasia and a polyp is and I can't find anything that says if you can reduce your risk of dysplasia, or if it's found if you can have that part removed and keep the good part??  I have a stricture in my sigmoid colon that is less than 5 inches, the rest of my colon is healed, besides some pseudopolyps that hang around.   

Post Edited (nmckinley) : 9/12/2013 8:37:10 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/12/2013 2:57 PM (GMT 0)
Taber's Medical Dictionary:

Dysplasia = abnormal development of tissue.

In the instance of Crohn's disease and/or Ulcerative colitis I would interpret that to mean changes in the liniing of the intestine due to scarring or inflammation caused by the disease.

Sections of both the large and small intestine can be removed (resected) w/o the need for a "bag". Your gastro poorly worded his explanation or you heard only certain phrases that have scared you more than necessary. Most likely a combination of the two.

Taber's again:

Polyp = a tumor w/a pedicle (stem); commonly found in vascular organs such as the nose, uterus, colon and rectum.

Polyps bleed easily. They are usually considered pre-cancerous or possibly so. Polyps are easily removed during a colonoscopy by a snare on the scope and can then be sent to pathology to determine if it is benign or malignant. If benign no further action is required except routine periodic colonoscopies. The vast majority of polyps are benign.
Posted 9/12/2013 3:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hello-
Ok, you are right, it was probably a little of both. I don't have a ton of trust in my doctor yet, my specialist who I had since I was diagnosed in 07 left last year so I haven't built the trust up yet. I'm trying! At any rate, your information helps a lot. Being a naturally anxious person doesn't help my situation any. I'm guessing, using common sense, that I am being scoped annually so that if dysplasia, or polyps are found, they can be removed before they turn into something really bad, which would require the removal of the entire colon. I guess I wasn't sure if it would be to my advantage to have the strictured part removed, or wait and try to attack it with the meds (which she increased my dosage on the mercaptopurine about a week ago). This is actually my 8th year with the disease, I was misdiagnosed the first couple of years with UC. The stricture has been around for a year or two and has stayed the same. It is active disease and not scar tissue, which I'm told is a good thing.
Posted 9/13/2013 10:31 AM (GMT 0)
Are they pre cancerous, even if benign?
Posted 9/13/2013 12:22 PM (GMT 0)
I'm not sure. I was never told anything other than it was benign.
Posted 9/13/2013 1:22 PM (GMT 0)
Lots of people develop polyps and everyone should be screened for colon cancer as they get older, so it seems like gastroenterologists should have a lot of experience with this issue and should know what to look for when doing a colonoscopy. Did your doc say there was an issue with your biopsy(s) or are you just worried? I've read that there are new technologies in the works that will make it easier to spot colon cancer in the future, so that's good for all of us. Try not to worry too much, (this suggestion coming from the worlds biggest worrier : )
Posted 9/13/2013 1:27 PM (GMT 0)
No. She just said since my risk is higher and since I'm such a worrier she thought I would be comforted by having it done annually. She didn't say anything about my biopsy. In the letter I received it said no dysplasia was found. I do have the chromoendoscopies done now which uses the blue dye and magnifies everything so hopefully that helps!
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