<p><b>Villous adenoma</b>
</p>
This large (6.5 cm) villous adenoma of the sigmoid colon had no invasive component, so the patient's prognosis after excision is excellent. The photo above is shot using conventional copy stand techniques and shows what this tumor looked like to the pathologist on the gross board, and to the gastroenterologist through the endoscope. The photos below show the specimen as immersed in tapwater. The buoyancy of the delicate villous structures causes them to stand up and separate, showing the complex coral-like filigree produced by this type of growth pattern.
Photography by Ed Uthman, MD.
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