ABSTRACT
BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Early colorectal cancer is defined as carcinoma with invasion to mucosa or submucosa irrespective of involvement of lymph node. Gross morphology is divided into elevated and depressed type according to growth pattern. Until now, carcinomas with elevated type have been found more frequently than depressed type in Korea. It is necessary to classify the macroscopy of morphology and evaluate histo-pathologic findings of early colorectal cancers. METHODS: 33 patients (35 foci) with early colorectal cancers were analyzed, macroscopically and pathologically. Early colorectal carcinoma with mucosal invasion is 25 cases, and with submucosal invasion, 10. RESULTS: Macroscopic classification: Ip 12, Isp 6, Is 9, IIa 1, IIa IIc 4, Isp IIc 1, LST 2. Among them, Ip (34%) is most. Among cancers with mucosal invasion, Ip (36%) is common, and with submucosal invasion, Is (40%) is common. Most of early colorectal cancers with elevated type were accompanied with surrounding adenoma. It's ratio is 100% in early colorectal cancer with mucosal invasion, and 50% with submucosal invasion. CONCLUSIONS: Pedunculated type (Ip) is common in early colorectal cancer with elevated type. Surrounding adenoma was usually (85%) accompanied with those. It is suggested that early colorectal cancer with elevated type would be originated from adenoma.