COLONIC POLYPS IN AN UNSELECTED POPULATION - PREVALENCE, CHARACTERISTICS, AND ASSOCIATIONS

Objectives: To provide a proctosigmoidoscopic review of a very large s et of unselected control subjects, providing an unbiased view of colon ic polyps in the general population. Methods: Sigmoidoscopic data from 406 sequentially recruited subjects were analyzed. Participation rate s were over 85%, and subjects were thus free of the usual selection bi as. Results: Thirty-eight percent of screened individuals were found t o have distal colonic polyps. Adenomas were found in 12%, and hyperpla stic polyps were found in 30% of screened individuals. Adenomas were m ore prevalent in males and in older individuals. Hyperplastic prevalen ce did not differ significantly by gender or age. Synchronous adenomat ous and hyperplastic polyps occurred in 3% of screened individuals, bu t these lesions were not associated. Conclusions: Distal colonic adeno matous and hyperplastic polyps are very common in the general populati on and are not associated. The high frequency of these polyps raises q uestions about the feasibility of biopsy for all polyps, and suggests that further study is needed to determine the appropriate indications for subsequent colonoscopy.