[A ten-year observation of malignant changes in a hyperplastic polyp of the stomach--a cellular kinetic study using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)]

Reported is the case of a 64 year old man with a hyperplastic polyp of the stomach that underwent malignant changes. The polyp had been followed up both endoscopically and histologically for 10 years. As it proved difficult to diagnose the malignant changes of the polyp through its endoscopic appearance, a part of polypectomized materials was studied by in vitro labeling of the S-phase cells with BrdU. Although the background hyperplastic mucosa somewhat preserved an irregular generative cell zone, the zonal distribution of the labeled cells were completely disturbed in the areas that underwent a malignant transformation, and labeled cells were often seen in the surface areas of the cancerous glands. It is important to study malignant changes in the hyperplastic polyps of the stomach from a cellular kinetic aspect.