JAMES LEAVITT, M.D.; IRWIN KLEIN, M.D.; FRED KENDRICKS, B.S.; JUDITH GAVALER, B.S.; DAVID H. VanTHIEL, M.D.
The relation between adenomatous colonic polyps and the development of adenocarcinoma of the colon is well established. An association between skin tags and colonic polyps in patients with acromegaly has also been reported. To ascertain if skin tags are a cutaneous marker for colonic polyps independent of the presence of acromegaly, 100 men referred for colonscopy were studied. Forty-six patients had colonic polyps and 37 also had skin tags; the correlation was highly significant (p < 0.005). The sensitivity and specificity of the presence of skin tags serving as a cutaneous marker for adenomatous colonic polyps were both greater than 75%. Thus, at least in this population, skin tags may serve as a means for identifying patients at increased risk for having colonic polyps.
LEAVITT J, KLEIN I, KENDRICKS F, GAVALER J, VanTHIEL DH. Skin Tags: A Cutaneous Marker for Colonic Polyps. Ann Intern Med. ;98:928–930. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-98-6-928
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Published: Ann Intern Med. 1983;98(6):928-930.
DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-98-6-928
Neurology.
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