Frequency and clinicopathological correlation of gastrointestinal polyps: A six-year single center experience

Background Most gastrointestinal polyps are asymptomatic; therefore, assessing symptoms associated with cancer and precancerous polyps is essential.Objectives The aim of this study was to study the histopathology, number, distribution, and degree of polyps' dysplasia in terms of age, gender, and clinical presentation.Methods This study was performed on patients who underwent endoscopy from July 2015 to August 2021 in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq. Surgical pathology records of patients were analyzed for age, sex, nature of the polyps, number, site, histopathology, degree of dysplasia, resection margins and patients' presented clinical data.Results The mean patients' age was 51.4 +/- 17.1 years, and most were males (51.9%). The most common indications for endoscopy were screening (28.62%), and the least common was weight loss (4.46%). Neoplastic polyps were common among patients with hematemesis (75%), while non-neoplastic were common among those with dyspepsia (60%). Most polyps were solitary in upper (80.8%) and lower gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Most polyps in the upper GIT were non-neoplastic (87.3%), while most lower proximal/distal GIT polyps were neoplastic. Most neoplastic polyps showed low-grade dysplasia (94.4%), and most high-grade dysplasia was a villous type (24.1%).Conclusions Initiation of the screening program is highly recommended as a facilitating method for the early detection of multiple and high-grade gastrointestinal polyps. Thus, screening programs can reduce the rate of mortality of carcinoma in this locality.