title: [Colonoscopic findings in asymptomatic people].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Prevention of colorectal cancer should be achievable by screening programs in asymptomatic patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the colonoscopic findings in asymptomatic people submitted to screening.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was undertaken on 153 consecutive asymptomatic people submitted to colonoscopy. Sex, age, previous diseases and familial cases of cancer, as well as tobacco and alcohol ingestion were assessed. Patients with rectal macro- or microscopic bleeding and colorectal diseases were excluded. Bowel preparation, polyps, angioectasias, diverticular disease, inflammation and neoplasm were also verified. Polyps were classified according to their size, number and location.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 52.5 +/- 11.7 years. Family history for colorectal cancer occurred in 79.8% of individuals. Colonoscopic alterations were detected in 99 individuals: polyps in 64.3%, diverticular disease in 27.9%, inflammatory mucosal alterations in 9.7%, melanosi coli in 2.6% and angioectasias in 7.8%. There were an increasing incidence of polyps in patients older than 50 year. Multivariate logistic regression showed age and sex as predictive factors for polyps (OR = 1.43; 1.19 <OR <2.67).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a significant incidence of colonoscopic alterations in asymptomatic people submitted to colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirurgia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. petroian@medicina.ufmg.br
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petroianu
authors.forename: Luiz Ronaldo
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Alberti
authors.forename: David Corrêa Alves
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.forename: Heather Lynn
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Hauter
authors.forename: Kelly Cristine de Lacerda
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Julia Cristina de Almeida
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mendes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D004241:Diverticulum, Colon / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors