Extracolonic lesions characteristic of FAP occurred with 3' APC mutations, but variability in intrapedigree and interpedigree extracolonic phenotype and dissociation of severity of extracolonic manifestations from number of colorectal polyps was noted.
Correlation between the molecular analysis and ophthalmic examinations, performed without knowledge of clinical and genetic status respectively, provided additional evidence in favour of the view that the range of phenotypic expression in FAP may result from different allelic manifestations of APC mutations.
The recent identification of the familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) gene (designated as APC) enables conclusive genetic testing of at-risk family members for the specific mutation in families in which the germline gene mutation has been characterized.