Serrated polyps of the large intestine

Serrated polyps of the large intestine comprise a family of lesions bearing some histological similarities, including an overall serrated configuration caused at least in part by inhibition of apoptosis by mutations in one of two genes. Over the past decade, it has become apparent that these lesions can be subdivided by histological criteria into lesions with differing degrees of relationship to the development of carcinoma, including sporadic microsatellite instable (MSI) carcinomas and probably carcinomas demonstrating the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP), which includes both MSI and microsatellite stable tumors. These differing histological subtypes can in part predict some of the molecular features of these lesions, and the combination of histological and molecular features is beginning to give us better insight into the potential natural history and therefore management of these lesions. This review will present the histological classification of these lesions, relate that histological classification to molecular aspects of the lesions, and present recommendations for management.