What are intestinal polyps? The video explains the risks associated with their onset, how to identify and treat them. ****** NOTES ON COMMENTS: since we cannot constantly monitor user comments and guarantee a response to each of them, we have chosen to disable comments. In fact, from experience, unmoderated comments often become a means of spreading false information and messages with commercial purposes. We do not want our videos to lend themselves to this purpose. For criticisms, appreciations, questions and observations you can still write in our forum http://community.my-personaltrainer.it/ or search for information in the dedicated articles on the site www.my-personaltrainer.it ****** Intestinal polyps are small protuberances that form in the innermost lining of the intestine, especially in the large intestine, therefore in the colon and rectum. The shape of these polyps can resemble that of a small mushroom or cauliflower, which protrudes towards the internal lumen of the organ, with or without a stem depending on the case. Intestinal polyps can be single or multiple and vary in size; sometimes they measure a few millimeters, other times they reach a few centimeters in diameter. Usually, intestinal polyps do not cause symptoms and are benign in nature, that is, they do not evolve into other serious pathologies. However, there is a certain risk of transformation into malignant; this degeneration, however very slow, is more likely for some types of polyps, such as large ones. For this reason, early identification and removal of suspicious colon polyps prevents their possible evolution into colorectal cancer. Intestinal polyps can appear at any age, although in most cases they develop after the age of 50. The causes of this phenomenon are not yet completely clear, however it is known that some factors can favor its appearance. The risk of intestinal polyps increases especially if there is a certain "familiarity", that is, if intestinal polyps have already been found in other close family members. Smoking, obesity, lack of physical activity and alcohol abuse also increase the probability of suffering from them. Among the predisposing dietary factors, we recall the excessive consumption of red meat and saturated fats in general; conversely, diets rich in fiber and sufficient physical activity seem to have a protective role. Another important factor that increases the probability of developing polyps is the presence of chronic inflammatory diseases of the colon-rectum, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. There are different types of intestinal polyps, classified mainly based on their shape. In particular, we can distinguish between pedunculated polyps and sessile octopuses. The former, the pedunculated ones, as the name suggests, have a peduncle, that is, a sort of stalk, to which a head is attached. To make a comparison, they resemble small mushrooms that protrude above the internal lining of the intestine. On the contrary, sessile polyps are without a stalk and very flat; having no stalk, they resemble a nodule present on the wall of the intestine. Because of their shape, unlike pedunculated polyps (which can be cut at the base of the stalk), surgical removal of sessile polyps is more difficult. In addition to their shape, intestinal polyps can also be classified based on their number. Some people develop a single intestinal polyp, others have multiple polyps. Specifically, we speak of polyposis when more than one hundred polyps are present. With regard to the relationship between polyps and colorectal cancer, it should be emphasized once again that not all polyps are at risk of malignant evolution. In this sense, in fact, it is possible to distinguish different types of polyps. Hyperplastic polyps, for example, are small growths characterized by a rapidly proliferating mucosa and considered essentially harmless, because their transformation into a malignant tumor is rare. Hamartomatous polyps, also called juvenile polyps, are also non-neoplastic lesions, generally of familial origin. Finally, there are neoplastic or adenomatous polyps, which are more likely to transform into a malignant neoplasm over time. It is therefore correct to consider colorectal adenomas as precancerous lesions. Without going into too much detail, adenomatous polyps, in turn, are divided into tubular, villous and tubulovillous polyps. Among these subtypes, those with the highest cancer risk are villous polyps. Continue on: http://www.my-personaltrainer.it/Tv/D...