How to Diagnose Adenoma

An adenoma is a tumor of epithelial tissue. It is usually benign but can become malignant if left untreated. Adenomas are categorized into three types according to histology: tubular (80 to 85 percent), tubulovillous (10 to 15 percent) and villous (5 percent.) Villous adenomas may grow in the colon and cause great concern because they tend grow larger and tend to become cancerous. The following steps will show how to diagnose adenoma.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Perform a colonoscopy. This is the most accurate method of detecting polyps and remains the procedure of choice. A colonoscopy has an accuracy of 85 percent on small polyps, although this is operator-dependent. The primary disadvantages are greater cost and risk of complications.

2. Use a barium enema with double-contrast for improved sensitivity. This procedure has an accuracy of 53 percent on small polyps with most false-positives due to improper cleaning of the bowel and most false-negatives caused by diverticulosis or redundant bowel.

3. Perform an endoscopy to diagnose polyps in addition to intervening therapeutically. An endoscope can be used on an outpatient basis but requires a clear liquid diet one to two days before the procedure.

4. Use an upper GI series with a small bowel follow-through to detect adenomas in the small bowel beyond the reach of an endoscope.

5. Employ genetic studies of stool samples for ease of use and noninvasiveness but usually only detects advanced tumors. The DNA from colon cancer is shed at a greater rate than normal tissue.

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