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Comparison of some clinical and histological features of colorectal carcinoma occurring in patients below and above 40 years.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the clinicopathological features of colorectal malignancies in Sri Lankan patients aged 40 years or younger, and to compare them with those of older patients.


METHODS
The clinicopathological features of 60 colorectal malignancies which occurred in patients aged 40 years or younger were compared with 245 malignant colorectal tumours in older patients. These tumours had been diagnosed at a University Department of Pathology over 15 years.


RESULTS
19.7% of colorectal malignancies occurred in patients aged 40 years or younger. (Male:Female ratio = 1.6:1). The mean duration from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 4.2 months. There was no statistically significant difference between young and old patients in the presenting symptoms, site of tumour and Dukes' staging of colorectal malignancies. A statistically significant proportion of tumours in young patients was mucoid (13.3%) or signet ring cell (5%) type. 3.3% of young patients with colorectal carcinoma gave a family history of similar malignancy. A history of predisposing conditions (ulcerative colitis) was present in 3.3% of young patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The clinical presentation of colorectal malignancies in Sri Lankan patients below 40 years of age does not differ from that in older patients. Mucoid and signet ring cell carcinomas are commoner in the young.