[Colonoscopic findings in asymptomatic people].

CONTEXT: 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).

CONCLUSION

There is a significant incidence of colonoscopic alterations in asymptomatic people submitted to colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening.