Colorectal Polyps among Patients Undergoing Colonoscopy in Sulaimaniyah Province, Iraq

Abstract

Background Colorectal cancers (CRC) are believed to develop primarily through an adenoma-carcinoma sequence, with adenomatous polyps beginning as the primary precursor lesions. Objective To assess the prevalence of colorectal polyps with their characteristics and relation to age/gender and to aid in establishing a screening program to detect polyps and CRC in the early stages. Patients and Methods The data of 2698 patients who underwent colonoscopy in Sulaimani Gastroenterology Center, Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, for various complaints and asymptomatic patients from January 2019 to February 2021 were studied retrospectively. Patients were given bowel preparation solutions the day before the colonoscopy examination, and the colonoscopy was performed under conscious sedation. Results The mean ± SD age of patients was 52.0 ± 17.59 years, and most were females (55.1%). Among the studied patients, 14.3% were diagnosed with polyps, of which 17.1% were males and 12.1 were females. The high prevalence rate was found in patients aged > 60 years (23.8%), followed by 50–60 years (17.71%), and then 40–49 years (13.07%). Conclusion Colorectal polyp was common among patients undergoing colonoscopy for several gastrointestinal symptoms, especially after age forty.