[Cicatricial digitiform pseudopolyposis of the colon (author's transl)]

A report on a patient aged 30 years with cicatricial digitiform pseudopolyposis discovered ten years after a severe hemorrhagic rectocolitis in which almost complete functional healing had occurred. Cicatricial digitiform pseudopolyposis is a rare condition. We have found reports on only 12 cases in the literature from 1952. Recently, ten cases in 190 patients with Crohn's disease have also been reported. This particular type of pseudopolyposis appears in two different forms: diffuse or localized ("giant"). Diagnosis can be difficult if there is no history of colitis which is nearly always from hemorrhagic rectocolitis or Crohn's disease. The diffuse form can be confused with polyposis of the colon from any cause, while the localized "giant" form can evoke a tumour especially of the villous type. An essential diagnostic procedure is the anatomical and pathological examination of the polypoid mass by surgical biopsy. Cicatricial pseudopolyposis does not require surgical intervention except when rare complications such as invagination caused by the pseudopolypoid mass occurs. Radiologists should bear in mind this particular form of pseudopolyposis, as correct identification can avoid unjustified surgical intervention.