DIAGNOSTIC-FINDINGS IN ENDOSCOPIC SCREENING OF SUPERFICIAL COLORECTALNEOPLASIA - RESULTS FROM A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

Background: A prospective study was carried out to clarify the efficac y of an endoscopic screening program for detecting superficial colorec tal neoplasias by color changes such as faint redness or discoloration , which have been described as a key finding of these lesions in the l iterature. Methods: We enrolled 716 consecutive cases in this study, b ut more than half of them did not reveal any abnormalities colonoscopi cally. Results: Of the 716 cases, 48 (7%) were examined by magnifying colonoscopy with a dye spraying technique, following the detection of superficial color changes. Sixteen neoplastic lesions (in 16 cases) we re detected among the 48 cases and the detection rate was calculated a s 2.2% (16/716) in the total number of cases and 33% (16/48) in those showing color abnormalities. Histologically, all of the 16 were adenom as. These neoplastic lesions were most frequent (52%; 11/21) in those showing faint redness in an oval shape, whereas 14 (94%) of the 15 les ions were non-specific in those showing faint redness with unclear mar gin. Conclusions: These results may confirm the diagnostic utility of color abnormality, particularly faint redness in an oval shape, for en doscopic screening of superficial colorectal neoplasias.