Do forceps biopsies truthfully reflect the nature of endoscopically uncovered polypoid lesions of the colon

Background Total excision of colonic polyps is not always attainable and in some patients it is clinically contraindicated. Also, a resected polyp may be lost at any step between its endoscopic removal and its embedding in paraffin. The aim of this study was to compare the histological features of colonic polyps as analysed by the study of biopsy-forceps obtained samples with those assessed on scrutinizing the totally resected growths. Patients and methods This prospective study included a cohort of 59 patients in whom, in the course of an elective colonoscopy, a total excision of a 6 mm-sized or larger polyp was called for. Sizeable biopsies were obtained by means of an Olympus Multibyte forceps prior to the total polypectomy. Subsequent to the study of the polypectomy specimens, the forceps biopsy samples weresubmitted forhistological examination. Thepathologists were blinded as to the source of the tissue they were studying. The diagnoses rendered by evaluating the biopsy samples and polypectomy specimens of each patient were contrasted with each other. Results Major discrepancies between the histological features of the fragments captured by the biopsy-forceps and the factual nature of the totally removed polyps were uncovered in 11 (18.6%) of 59 cases. Intriguingly, the grade of the tumours was underrated in all the 11 cases, as judged by contrasting the tentative diagnoses of the forceps-biopsies with the decisive diagnoses of the polypectomies. Importantly, 2 adenocarcinomas would have been missed by just looking at the forceps-retrieved sample.