Polyps vs polyp degeneration

Hi. My mother just had a medical procedure performed on her throat. She insists that the doctor told her that she had two really big "polyps" that were almost touching, and that he needed to take them out and have them biopsied even though they are usually benign. However, after the surgery, he told me that he didn't find anything and that she had merely "polypoid degeneration." I looked up this term on the web and, from what I can tell, the condition is marked by a swelling of the vocal cords. So, my question is: Are polyps and "polypoid degeneration" seperate terms for a common condition? I also would like to know why the doctor has told me that he didn't find anything when he told her that she had two big polyps in her throat? Something here doesn't add up.