title: Total colonic polyp diameter: a marker for the risk of malignancy?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The correlation of the risk of malignancy with the sum of the diameters of small colonic polyps is unknown, and data regarding this topic are lacking. In this study, the relationship between the sum of the diameters of the total number of colonic polyps and poor histopathologic characteristics was examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 920 neoplastic colon polyps were evaluated in 480 patients. The "total polyp diameter" (i.e. the sum of all polyp diameters identified during colonoscopy), which was calculated in each patient by adding the diameter of each polyp to a sum, was categorized as "small" (<10mm in diameter) or "large" (> or =10mm in diameter). The polyps were further categorized by histopathologic component as "unfavorable" or "favorable" and were divided into 2 groups: group 1 (those identified as carci noma, carcinoma in situ, villous adenoma, and tubulovillous adenoma with a villous component of more than 25%) and group 2 (mixed adenomatous polyps with various degrees of hyperplastic or inflammatory components and adenomas with a tubular component of more than 75%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Large polyps that had a total diameter greater than or equal to 10mm tended to have poor histopathologic characteristics (p<0.05). Polyps generally tended to localize in the left portion of the colon, and malignant polyps or those at risk for malignancy in particular tended to localize in the left colon (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Polypectomy is recommended for patients in whom the sum of the diameter of all colonic polyps exceeds 10mm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Baskent University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. haldun65cuk@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Haldun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Selcuk
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanbay
authors.forename: Emin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tore
authors.forename: Hale
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sumer
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Unal
authors.forename: Okan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yeloglu
authors.forename: Gurden
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gur
authors.forename: Banu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bilezikci
authors.forename: Beyhan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Demirhan
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Sedat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boyacioglu
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D018253:Adenoma, Villous / Q000473:pathology; D018256:Adenomatous Polyps / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000473:pathology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000473:pathology*; D003113:Colonoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors