Colonoscopic findings in patients aged 50 years and older: a critical analysis of 1614 exams

Abstract Introduction Colonoscopy has shown to be useful in the diagnosis of various pathologies. By allowing the direct visualization of the mucosa, colonoscopy allows the adoption of therapeutic methods, such as the removal of polyps, dilation of stenoses, and biopsies. This method can also be applied in the detection of colorectal cancer, which currently represents an important cause of mortality in the world. Individuals considered to be at medium risk for the development of colorectal cancer should start screening at 50 years of age in order to detect early disease. Objective To describe the main results of the exams for patients at least 50 years old who underwent colonoscopy. Method Descriptive, case-series study of 1614 colonoscopies performed from 2014 to 2017 at a referral hospital in Salvador, Bahia. Results The main indications for the study were intestinal bleeding (26.5%), neoplasia screening (20.7%), and abdominal pain (10.2%). The main results were diverticular disease (38.9%), polyps (38.8%), and normal examination (23.2%). Patients with indications for neoplasia screening had the presence of polyps (41.3%) as their main diagnosis. For patients with normal examination, 28.8% presented intestinal bleeding as an indication. There were 70 (4.3%) patients with a colonoscopic diagnosis of neoplasia. Conclusion The present study, which demonstrated a majority of exams with considerable alterations, shows the usefulness of the examination, besides other advantages, as a form of diagnosis of colorectal cancer.