Published online Nov 26, 2018. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v6.i14.820
Peer-review started: July 30, 2018
First decision: September 13, 2018
Revised: October 17, 2018
Accepted: October 23, 2018
Article in press: October 22, 2018
Published online: November 26, 2018
Processing time: 125 Days and 3.7 Hours
Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) is a rare benign condition, which can mimic many other diseases because of their similarities in clinical, endoscopic and histological features. Sessile serrated adenoma/polyp (SSA/p) is a premalignant lesion in the colon and rectum. The misdiagnosis of SSA/p in SRUS patients has been noted, but the case of SRUS arising secondarily to SSA/p has been rarely reported. We herein report the case of a 59-year-old man who presented with an ulcerative nodular lesion in the rectum, accompanied by the symptoms of blood and mucus in the feces, diarrhea and constipation. Magnetic resonance imagining revealed thickening of the rectal mucosa-submucosa. Histologically, the lesion was characterized by the hyperplastic lamina propria and diffusely serrated crypts. Further immunohistochemical staining showed the loss of HES1 and MLH1 expression in the epithelial cells in the serrated area. The patient with SRUS had histological changes of SSA/p, suggesting a potential of tumor transformation in certain cases. SRUS uncommonly accompanied by serrated lesions should at least be considered by pathologists and clinicians.
Core tip: We report a 59-year-old man presenting with blood and mucus in the feces, diarrhea and constipation. A subsequent endoscopy of the rectum revealed a 5-cm ulcerative nodule in the anterior wall of the rectum, 5 cm from the anal verge. Abdominal magnetic resonance imagining revealed thickening of the mucosa-submucosa, raising suspicion of rectal carcinoma. The surgical resection of the rectum was performed. However, the final pathology suggested an unusual case of solitary rectal ulcer syndrome complicating sessile serrated adenoma/polyp.