Colonoscopic findings in a private clinic in goiânia

Abstract

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent neoplasms worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Colonoscopy (COL) is an essential examination for diagnosing intestinal diseases and is capable of identifying precancerous lesions, such as adenomatous polyps (AP), at an early stage, allowing their removal before progression to an invasive tumor. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of AP, CRC, and colonic diverticula (CD) in patients undergoing colonoscopy. Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study in which the findings of COL exams performed between March 2019 and October 2020 in a private clinic were evaluated. Demographic data, colonoscopic findings, whether biopsy and/or polypectomy was performed, and the corresponding histopathological results were collected. A total of 10,951 COL exams were performed during the study period; of these, 719 (6.6%) were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria, and the remaining 10,232 (93.4%) composed our sample. Results: Among these, 2,354 (23.0%) presented AP, 100 (1.2%) CRC, and 2,984 (29.2%) CD. Age showed a non-normal distribution (Kolmogorov–Smirnov, p<0.0001) and was significantly associated with all diagnoses. ROC curve analysis demonstrated good accuracy for age in detecting polyps and tumors. Conclusion: This study is justified by the relevance of COL as a CRC screening strategy and by its potential to support improvements in health policies, in addition to providing an understanding of colonoscopic findings that may assist in identifying epidemiological and clinical patterns.