title: Colorectal polyps: a clinical, endoscopic and pathologic study in Iranian children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the clinical presentation, histology and colonoscopic features of lower gastrointestinal polyps in Iranian children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical reports of children with colorectal polyps were retrospectively reviewed from 1996 to 2005 at the Children's Medical Center Hospital, Iran. A total of 563 cases were studied. Data related to age, sex, family history, signs and symptoms, the size, location, polyp types and associated lesions were collected and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of children was 5.66 +/- 2.88 years (range 2 months to 17 years), with a male-to-female ratio of 1.61:1.0. The highest incidence was between ages 2 and 10 years (85.1%). Rectal bleeding was the presenting symptom in 78.5% cases. The polyps were solitary in 94% of cases. A majority of polyps (86.3%) were juvenile and 86.7% located in the rectosigmoid area. Three percent of cases had a positive family history. One case of Turcot syndrome was also identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Juvenile polyps remain the most common polyps in Iranian children. Although the presence of a solitary polyp in the rectosigmoid colon is more prevalent, in a significant number of cases they are multiple and located in proximal parts. Polyps must be removed even when asymptomatic because of their probable neoplastic potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Children's Medical Center Hospital, Medical Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Taghi
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Haghi Ashtiani
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monajemzadeh
authors.forename: Farzaneh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Motamed
authors.forename: Hedieh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moradi Tabriz
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mahjoub
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karamian
authors.forename: Mehri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Najafi Sani
authors.forename: Gholam Reza
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Khatami
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khodadad
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Farahmand
authors.forename: Gholam Hossein
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Fallahi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003113:Colonoscopy; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012007:Rectum