Neurogenic Polyps of the Gastrointestinal Tract: A Clinicopathologic Review With Emphasis on Differential Diagnosis and Syndromic Associations

Abstract

Primary neurogenic gastrointestinal polyps are encountered relatively frequently in routine pathology practice. They encompass a variety of neoplastic entities with clinical, morphologic, and molecular features that reflect the diversity of neural elements within the gastrointestinal system. Although most are benign and encountered incidentally, accurate diagnosis may have important clinical implications because of the associations of certain neurogenic polyps with familial syndromes or other conditions. We review the pathology of these polyps with an emphasis on the diagnostic challenges that they pose and on newly described subtypes.