The usefulness of colonoscopy as a screening test for detecting colorectal polyps.
OBJECTIVE
Colonic polyps are the most common lesions encountered during screening colonoscopy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of colonoscopy to detect colonic polyps in adults.


METHODS
From January 2003 to September 2005, a total of 4,629 adults underwent colonoscopic screening as a part of a health evaluation program. We analyzed the completed questionnaires, and the colonoscopic and pathologic findings.


RESULTS
Complete colonic evaluation was possible in 4,491 (97.0%) subjects, and 804 (17.9%) had adenomatous polyps, including 153 subjects (3.4%) with advanced adenomas. There were no significant complications such as bowel perforation or massive bleeding requiring transfusion in relation to the procedure. There was a trend toward an increased prevalence of adenomatous polyps with age. Among the subjects with polyps, 72.1% of the subjects had distal polyps and the relative risk for proximal polyp, according to the distal findings, was 5.4 (95% CI: 4.5-6.3) for adenomatous polyp, 5.1 (95% CI 3.6-7.0) for advanced adenoma as compared to the finding of no adenomatous polyp.


CONCLUSIONS
Colonoscopy performed by experienced colonoscopists as a screening test is feasible for detecting subjects with colorectal polyps.
Kim
Dae Han
DH
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
Seok Young
SY
Choi
Kui Sung
KS
Lee
Ho Jin
HJ
Park
Su Cheol
SC
Kim
Jin
J
Han
Chul Ju
CJ
Kim
You Cheoul
YC
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003113:Colonoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007417:Intestinal Polyps / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012002:Rectal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017678:Sex Distribution