Polyposis coli. Gross clinical specimen of a colon (large intestine) with large polyps that may be due to a number of hereditary disorders. These include familial polyposis coli, Tucot's syndrome and Gardener's syndrome. The gross specimen's large tumours imply that the patient had Gardener's syndrome. Most polyps are benign and without symptoms, but they may cause bleeding and anaemia. Abdominal pain is rare. Polyps are looked for by colonoscopy. The polyps usually become malignant (cancerous) later in life necessitating removal of all or part of the colon, as in this case.