Radiology, Vol 168, 603-607, Copyright © 1988 by Radiological Society of North America
Colonic lymphoid follicles associated with colonic neoplasms
SN Glick, SK Teplick and WM Ross
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19102.
In 3,399 patients more than 40 years of age undergoing air-contrast enema
examinations a prospective evaluation was done for the presence of colonic
lymphoid follicles. In 3,315 patients there was no evidence of lymphoid
follicles. Colonic neoplasms were diagnosed in 8.47% of these individuals.
Eighty-four patients were found to have radiographically identifiable
follicles. Fifty-eight of these 84 patients (69%) with lymphoid follicles
had a synchronous (n = 19) or previous (n = 14) colonic neoplasm or a
synchronous (n = 24) or previous (n = 1) colonic polyp. There were no
consistent clinical or radiographic features that distinguished the
patients with and without a neoplastic association. However, 90% of men
with lymphoid follicles had associated neoplasms, whereas only 58% of women
did. Because of the frequent association, detection of colonic lymphoid
follicles in patients in this age group should lead to a vigorous search
for subtle colonic neoplasms that may not be apparent because of technical
limitations of the study.
