Juvenile Polyposis:
A Guide for patients and their families
What is a Juvenile Polyp?
Joy Larsen Haidle, MS, CGC, UI Health Care
V. Kim Horton, RN, MS, CGC, UI Health Care
James R. Howe, MD, UI College of Medicine
Hope Bergemann, UI Health Care
Peer Review Status: Internally reviewed by the
authors
First Published:
Last Revised: April 2002
Juvenile polyps are hamartomatous polyps—tumors that develop from normal tissue. The term juvenile refers to specific microscopic characteristics of the polyps found in people affected by this condition. The polyps vary in size and shape—some may be flat along the wall of the GI tract, while others may have a stalk. Most juvenile polyps are benign. If the polyps are not treated, they may cause problems. These polyps tend to bleed and may cause anemia. Prolonged growth may allow them to become cancerous. The number of polyps in people may vary. Some may only have four or five polyps over their lifetime, whereas others may have hundreds. Juvenile polyps can occur because of a genetic predisposition or simply by chance.The GI tract consists of a continuous pathway starting at the mouth and ending at the anus. The organs along this pathway that could be affected by JP include the stomach, small intestine, colon (large intestine), and rectum. Please refer to Diagram 1 below.
Diagram 1. This diagram shows the organs of the gastrointestinal tract that may be affected in Juvenile Polyposis.
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