Clinical Comparison for Colon Polyps between Right and Left Colon in Koreans

Abstract

Background/Aims: Comparative studies of colon polyps between right and left colon in Korean population are limited. We investigated the clinical characteristics of the patients according to polyp location and compared the results of the morphological and histological analysis of right and left colon polyps. Methods: The study was performed prospectively for the patients who underwent colon polypectomy for health check-ups in a single tertiary center. The patients were classified into three groups by the location of the polyps: right group (from the cecum to the splenic flexure), left group (from the descending colon to the anus), and total group. The size, the morphology, the location and the pathology of the polyps were evaluated. Results: From June 2010 to June 2011, Overall 2596 polyps from 950 patients (male=646) were analyzed. Colon polyps were right side-shift with increased patients age (P<0.001). The incidence of polyps was most common in sigmoid colon (26.5%). Polyps less than 5 mm size were more common in left colon (P<0.001) and flat polyps larger than 1 cm in right colon (P=0.006), respectively. In histopathological findings, the distribution of advanced adenoma was not different according to the location, however tubular adenomas and serrated adenomas (P<0.001) were more common in right colon. Female was more distributed in right group, respectively (P<0.001). Conclusions: In a single center study, colon polyps were more distributed in right colon with age and in females. Also flat polyps larger than 1cm, tubular adenoma and serrated adenoma were found in larger proportion in right colon.