IntroductionColorectal cancer (CRC), which is still associated with very high incidence and mortality rates, is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in males and the third in females around the world (1-3). However, survival from CRC has seen an improvement over the past 30 years (4). Screening for CRC is recommended after 50 years of age for individuals at average risk (5-7). It is recognized that more than 95% of all CRCs develop from adenomas and it is accepted that the majority of CRC arise from the adenomacarcinoma sequence (8-11). The risk of an adenoma becoming malignant is greatest for advanced adenoma (AA) (adenoma with size ≥1 cm, villous elements, or highgrade dysplasia) (8,12). In the CRC screening guidelines patients with adenomas were stratified at their baseline colonoscopy into those at lower risk or increased risk for a subsequent advanced neoplasia (2,6,8). The low-risk group refers to patients with 1-2 tubular adenomas <10 mm in diameter, while the high-risk group refers to patients with tubular adenoma ≥10 mm, 3 or more adenomas, adenoma with villous elements, or high-grade dysplasia (6). The guideline for colonoscopy surveillance after screening and polypectomy recommends a 3-year surveillance interval for patients in the high-risk group and a 5-year surveillance interval for those in the low-risk group (6).According to a recent meta-analysis, it was hypothesized that the size of an adenoma is a more important determinant of adenoma recurrence (AR) than the villous component or high-grade dysplastic content (12). Although Martinez et al. (13) suggested that the size and number of removal adenomas were two important predictors of AR at follow-up colonoscopy, it is still not known exactly which adenoma feature is more important than the others for AR.The aim of the present study was to determine the baseline patient and colorectal adenoma characteristics that are risk factors for AR at 3-year surveillance colonoscopy in patients with high-risk adenoma.Background/aim: The present observational study aimed to determine the predictive value of 3-year recurrence adenoma characteristics at baseline conventional colonoscopy in patients with high-risk adenoma.Materials and methods: A total of 47 patients with high-risk adenoma at baseline colonoscopy were followed up and underwent a surveillance colonoscopy at 3 years. Correlations between adenoma recurrence and baseline adenoma characteristics (size, number, histological features, and location) were analyzed.Results: Among 135 patients with high-risk adenoma, 47 patients (35%) who underwent surveillance colonoscopy at 3 years following baseline colonoscopy were included in the study. In these 47 patients, at least one new adenoma was detected in 19 (40.4%) patients, and new advanced adenomas were detected in 5 (10.6%) patients during the surveillance colonoscopy. No significant difference was found in patients who had adenoma recurrence versus those who did not in terms of size of adenomas (P = 0.143), number of adenomas (P = 0.562), histologic...