Adenomatous polyps of the colon are sessile or pedunculated, and single or multiple. If multiple, they may be few and scattered or so numerous and diffuse that they virtually replace the lining of the colon. The most significant feature of polyps of the colon in adults is the fact that they are known precursors of adenocarcinoma. From this fact stems the generally accepted view that colonic polyps in adults should be removed. Although adenomatous polyps sometimes occur in the colons of children, carcinoma of the colon is rare in pediatric practice. Gross, with the considerable experience of the Children's Hospital in Boston at his disposal, describes only one case, that of a girl 12 years of age, who had polyposis of the colon associated with an adenocarcinoma of the rectum. The present study of colonic polyps in children was carried out in the hope that data might emerge to guide