[Colonic elastoma. A pathologic study of 7 cases]

The occurrence of elastic tissue abnormalities in the digestive tract is not common. There are sometimes observed in genetically transmitted connective tissue diseases in which numerous systemic complications are associated as in Ehlers-Danlos and in Grönblad-Strandberg syndromes. We report 7 cases of an unusual lesion localized in the colon in which abnormally increased amounts of elastic tissue were observed. This elastosis raises many nosological and diagnostic difficulties. We propose the term "colonic elastoma" to describe this lesion. The review of the literature allows to consider several etiopathogenetic possibilities.