OBJECTIVETo study the clinicopathologic characteristics, immunophenotypes, pathologic diagnosis and differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal inflammatory fibroid polyp (IFP).

METHODSThe clinical data, histologic features and immunohistochemical results of 6 cases of gastrointestinal inflammatory fibroid polyp were analyzed, with review of literature.

RESULTSThere were altogether 5 women and a man. The age of patients ranged from 44 to 87 years (median age = 61 years and mean age = 62 years). The sites of involvement included stomach (number = 2), jejunum (number = 2), distal ileum (number = 1) and rectum (number = 1). The patients often presented with abdominal pain or discomfort and tarry stool. All the cases studied showed similar morphology, were submucosa-based and composed of bland spindle cells associated with loose collagenous stroma and perivascular edema. Prominent concentric fibroblastic proliferation ("onion-skin" appearance) and eosinophilic infiltrate were characteristics. Three of the patients underwent surgical resection. The remaining patients had the lesions removed with endoscopy. Follow-up data were available in 5 patients and none of them had disease recurrence or metastasis.

CONCLUSIONSIFP is a rare benign tumor of gastrointestinal tract. Correct diagnosis primarily relies on pathologic examination. It needs to be distinguished from gastrointestinal stromal tumors or inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor.