title: A study of colorectal polyps.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine various features of colorectal polyps and to evaluate the safety of colonoscopic polypectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Federal Postgraduate Medical Institute, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, from January 1987 to January 2004.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was based on data analysis of 393 patients who underwent colonoscopic polypectomy at our institution during 17 years from January 1987 to January 2004. Presenting complaints of patients were noted. Polyps were evaluated in terms of size, site, number and histopathology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 393 patients, 268 were male and 125 female. Presenting complaints were bleeding per rectum in 339 patients, diarrhea with blood in 34 and without blood in 6 patients, and lower abdominal pain in 12 patients. Two patients were being investigated for iron deficiency anemia. Two hundred and sixty-four patients had juvenile polyps, 39 had adenomatous polyps, 39 hyperplastic polyps, 39 inflammatory polyps, 3 malignant polyps and 2 patients had familial polyposis. Histopathological reports were not available in 7 patients. Size of the polyps ranged from 0.3 cm to 3.0 cm. Left colon was involved in 353 patients, transverse colon in 15, right colon in 8 patients and diffuse involvement of colon found in 17 patients. Bleeding following polypectomy occurred in 2% of the patients. No other procedure related complication occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Juvenile polyps were the commonest variety of polyps in our study. Colonoscopic polypectomy has very low complication rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Sheikh Zayed Hospital (SZH), Lahore, Pakistan. uhirfan@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Irfan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Anwaar Ahmed
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Altaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.forename: Arshad Kamal
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Butt
authors.forename: Farzana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shafqat
authors.forename: Shahid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarwar
mesh_terms: D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D003113:Colonoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male