Malakoplakia associated with colorectal adenocarcinoma

Malakoplakia is an infrequent inflammatory reaction that characteristically affects the genitourinary tract and that, at least on clinical and macroscopic grounds, may occasionally simulate malignancy.1 Other organs and systems, however, can also be involved. In the gastrointestinal tract, malakoplakia is usually associated with other concomitant diseases such as ulcerative colitis, diverticular disease, adenomatous polyps, and carcinoma.2 The association of malakoplakia and adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum is a rare event, with no more than 20 cases reported in the international literature.3-9 We present a series of six cases along with a review of the literature on this association