Polyp of the Colon: Are polyps dangerous in the colon? Symptoms and causes
A polyp is a protruding growth which has a wartlike appearance. It can vary from a pinhead to a large orange in size. The word pertains to the shape of the growth and is used to describe any circumscribed bulge that protrudes into a body space. Polyps occur in many areas, but they are especially common in the nose and the intestinal tract. The colon is that part of the intestinal tract from which water is absorbed and in which the solid stool is formed, temporarily stored, and from which it is evacuated. Polyps in the colon can cause bleeding and anemia as well as obstruction of bowel movement. They sometimes present a problem in diagnosis, for many polyps cause no symptoms at all. The presence of a polyp is established by an X-ray examination of the intestine or by looking directly into the intestine through a lighted tube (sigmoidoscope) inserted through the rectum. Where do polyps of the colon come from? Polyps in this area are of two types. The one variety is a true tumo...