Lipomas of the colon: a clinicopathologic review

The authors review their experience with lipomas of the colon at St. Boniface General Hospital in Winnipeg, Man., during the period 1974 to 1985, and compare their clinicopathologic evaluation with that reported in the literature. Among 15 patients (average age 66.7 years), the majority of whom were women, 17 lipomas were found; all were submucosal. One-third of the lesions were symptomatic. The most frequent symptoms were abdominal pain, rectal bleeding and a change in bowel habit. Only one patient had multiple lesions. The right colon was most frequently affected. Five patients underwent major colonic resection either because the diagnosis was confused with carcinoma or because of intussusception. Only one patient was treated by colotomy and polypectomy. Although most lipomas are small and asymptomatic, tumours larger than 2 cm tend to produce complications or be confused with carcinoma.