title: CLINICAL, EPIDEMIOLOGIC, AND ENDOSCOPIC PROFILE IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH COLONIC POLYPS IN TWO REFERENCE CENTERS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The main goal of this paper is to investigate the frequency, clinical profile, and endoscopic findings of children and teenagers submitted to colonoscopies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients of below 18 years of age, diagnosed with polyps by means of colonoscopies at two reference centers of pediatric endoscopy were followed-up between 2002 and 2012. The clinical variables evaluated in this study included: gender, recommendation of colonoscopy, associated signs and symptoms, age of onset of symptoms, age at identification of the polyp, interval of time between the onset of symptoms and the endoscopic diagnosis of colonic polyps, and family history of intestinal polyposis and/or colorectal cancer. The characteristics of the polyps also included: number, morphological type, histology, and distribution. Polyposis syndromes were also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the 233 patients submitted to colonoscopies, polyps were found in 74 (31.7%) patients, with a median age of 6.6 years, of which 61% were male. Juvenile polyps were identified in 55 (74%) patients, with 7 (9%) characterized within the criteria for juvenile polyposis. Patients with intestinal polyposis syndromes were diagnosed in 35% of the patients. The most frequent clinical presentation was hematochezia. Abdominal pain with acute episodes of intestinal partial obstruction or intussusception with emergency laparotomy was observed in the majority of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome patients leading to an increased morbidity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even though juvenile colonic polyps are the most frequent type of diagnosed polyps, the present study identified a significant level of children with polyposis syndromes (35%), associated with a higher morbidity of these individuals.
authors: Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG.
authors: Denise O
authors: DO
authors: Andrade
authors: Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG.
authors: Alexandre Rodrigues
authors: AR
authors: Ferreira
authors: Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG.
authors: Paulo Fernando S
authors: PF
authors: Bittencourt
authors: Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG.
authors: Daniela F P
authors: DF
authors: Ribeiro
authors: Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG.
authors: Rodrigo Gomes da
authors: RG
authors: Silva
authors: Departamento de Cirurgia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors: Luiz Ronaldo
authors: LR
authors: Alberti
mesh_terms: D011125:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003113:Colonoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010580:Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology