[Concerning the malignancy of villous tumors of the large intestine].

The analysis of a personal series of 83 villous tumors of the rectum and the colon showed that half of them were degenerated. Malignancy was, once out of twice, at the intraepithelial stage ("in situ" epithelioma) or at the intramucous stage (micro-carcinoma) and once out of twice invasive. No more than the rectal touch or the endoscopic aspect, biopsy enables a regular recognition of this degeneration, nor of its invasion degree. Therefore villous tumor must be removed surgically, to give to the anatomopathologist a whole and well-oriented specimen, which allows him to say if this excision is enough or if it must be completed. In no case, a villous tumor must be removed endoscopically by any physical means, nor even resected with the diathermical ansa if it is pedonculated.