Association Between Skin Tags and Colonic Polyps in Patients with Acromegaly

Abstract

The high prevalence of colonic polyps in acromegalic patients is well known. Colonic adenomatous polyps may be precursor lesions for colorectal carcinoma. Skin tags are generally benign skin growths, but it has been reported that there is a correlation between skin tags and colonic polyposis in acromeglic patients. We evaluated association between colonic polyps and skin tags in twenty-five acromegalic patients. The aged over 70, previous colonic disease or polyps, rectal bleeding, positive family history for colon disease and smoking were exclusion criterians in the study. Colonoscopy was performed in all patients and colonic polyps were found in ten of them. Skin tags were detected in eight of ten patients with colonic polyps. The specificity and sensitivity of the presence of polyps with skin tags was high However Fisher’s exact test was not statistically significant. As a conclusion, colonoscopy should be performed in all acromegalic patients especially in those with skin tags.