Patients with McCune-Albright syndrome have a broad spectrum of abnormalities in the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas

Abstract

McCune-Albright Syndrome (MAS) is a rare sporadic syndrome caused by post-zygotic mutations in the GNAS oncogene, leading to constitutional mosaicism for these alterations. Somatic activating GNAS mutations also commonly occur in several gastrointestinal and pancreatic neoplasms, but the spectrum of abnormalities in these organs in patients with MAS has yet to be systematically described. We report comprehensive characterization of the upper gastrointestinal tract in seven patients with MAS and identify several different types of polyps, including gastric heterotopia/metaplasia (7/7), gastric hyperplastic polyps (5/7), fundic gland polyps (2/7), and a hamartomatous polyp (1/7). In addition, one patient had an unusual adenomatous lesion at the gastroesophageal junction with high-grade dysplasia. In the pancreas, all patients had endoscopic ultrasound findings suggestive of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), but only two patients met the criteria for surgical intervention. Both of these patients had IPMNs at resection, one with low-grade dysplasia and one with high-grade dysplasia. GNAS mutations were identified in the majority of lesions analyzed, including both IPMNs and the adenomatous lesion from the gastroesophageal junction. These studies suggest that there is a broad spectrum of abnormalities in the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas in patients with MAS and that patients with MAS should be evaluated for gastrointestinal pathology, some of which may warrant clinical intervention due to advanced dysplasia.