PURPOSE:Analyze the findings of rigid retossigmoidoscopy in asymptomatic patients above50 years old.
METHOD: Prospective analysis of 208 asymptomatic patients above 50 yearsand without familiar history of colorectal cancer which were submitted to rigidretossigmoidoscopy for colorectal cancer screening on a period of 14 months.
RESULTS: 4.8% of the studied patients had polyps which size varied from3mm to 20mm. All polyps were removed and submitted to pathological examination,where 3.36% (n=7) were hyperplastic polyps and 1.50%(n=3) were adenomas. Thepatients with polyps on sigmoidoscopic exam then were submitted to videocolonoscopicinvestigation; of these, seven patients had no other polyps on examination andone had two polyps on right colon.
CONCLUSION: The rigid sigmoidoscopy is an accessible and safe tool forcolorectal cancer screening, allowing identifying premalignant lesions in asymptomaticpatients.
