Definition: A colon polyp is an abnormal growth on the wall of the large intestine. Polyps may not cause any symptoms, so they might go undetected without screening. Polyps may be found and removed during colon cancer screening, such as sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. In some cases, having polyps in the colon increases the risk of developing colon cancer.
People who have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may develop a type of polyp known as an inflammatory polyps or pseudo polyp. These polyps occur in the colon of people with IBD because of chronic inflammation, and are not at risk for turning cancerous. However, people with IBD are also at risk for developing other types of polyps that do carry a risk of becoming cancer.
Pronunciation: (PAH-lip)
Common Misspellings: polip, palyp, palip
