How could your eyes, having a
colonoscopy and colon cancer possibly be related? If during your eye
exam your eye doctor told you that you had “Bear
Tracks” or “Pigment Spots” or “Retina Freckles”-all common names for Congenital
Retinal Pigment Epithelial Hypertrophy (CHRPE), being aware of the relationship
between your eyes and the need for a colonoscopy might be more important than
you think.
The retinal
pigmented epithelium (RPE) is a layer of the retina which can sometimes be
thicker than normal at birth-or “hypertrophic”. “During regular
eye exams when we find these areas of retinal pigmented
epithelial hypertrophy typically they do not cause any vision problems or
symptoms and are pretty unremarkable,” commented Dr. Leslie Doctor.
Congenital
Retinal Pigment Epithelial Hypertrophy (CHRPE) is usually found before patients
reach 30 years of age and although they may enlarge with time they usually do
not lead to malignancies like colon cancer. However, there is an association
between people with Gardner's Syndrome-Familial Colonic Polyposes-or polyps of
the colon, and CHRPE. If your eye doctor has told you that you have Congenital
Retinal Pigment Epithelial Hypertrophy-perhaps called “Bear Tracks” or “Pigment
Spots” or “Retina Freckles”, it is important to carefully explore and review
your family history reasonable with a Gastroenterologist who will likely
schedule you for a colonoscopy. CHRPE has a “statistically significant”
correlation with hereditary colon polyps known as Familial Adenomatous
Polyposis, or FAP. It may be that the freckles are caused by the same genetic
mutation that produces the polyps. A study published in 2010 in the American
Journal of Gastroenterology concluded that patients with such freckles
should be referred for colonoscopies.
Thus-when we are over 50 years of
age, the reasons to have yearly eye exams includes not only detecting cataracts,
glaucoma, age related macular degeneration (AMD) and other eye diseases, but
regular eye examinations may very well be a reminder to be screened via
colonoscopy to help detect early risks and potential indicators of colon
cancer.
If you have any questions or
concerns or need to schedule an eye exam please call Doctor &
Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor &
Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule
an appointment.
Doctor & Associates is a
leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice with offices at 129 Kings Highway North,
Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148
East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.
