Anatomical Distribution, Histopathological Characteristics, and Dysplasia Patterns of Colonic Polyps: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study from Iraq
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22317/jcms.v12i3.2187Keywords:
Colonic Polyps, Dysplasia, Location of Colonic Polyps, NeoplasiaAbstract
Objectives: This study aimed to assess the clinical presentation of different colonic polyps, identify the commonest site, and assess the association of the type and site with colon cancer.
Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study among patients diagnosed with colonic polyps in Duhok City. The histopathological reports of patients who underwent colonoscopy from different hospitals and centers in the city were analyzed. The study focused on the past 5 years' assessment, 2020-2025, and after data cleaning, 701 cases were collected from the archives. SPSS was used for descriptive statistical analysis. Associations were assessed using the Chi-square test and Fisher's Exact test where appropriate. A P < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant.
Results: Tubular adenoma was the commonest type of pre-neoplastic polyp (83.6%), and hyperplastic polyps were the most common non-pre-neoplastic lesions (47%). The clinical presentation of the polyp, whether male vs. female or presence or absence of symptoms of diarrhea and bleeding per rectum, could not indicate the correlation with the degree of dysplasia (P > 0.05). The location of polyps was significantly associated with the age at the time of diagnosis, P < 0.001; patients < 18 years (44.4%) and those aged 18-44 years (36.0%) were more likely to have polyps in the anorectal region, while those aged 45-62 years (42.3%) and those older than 62 years (47.4%) were more likely to have their polyps scattered.
Conclusion: Tubular adenoma of the pre-neoplastic polyps and the hyperplastic polyps of non-pre-neoplastic nature accounted for the most common. Patients < 45 years are more likely to have polyps distal to the transverse colon (~60.0%) and more likely to be non-Pre-neoplastic compared with proximal counterparts, which are >50% Pre-neoplastic.
References
Meseeha M, Dsouza R, Attia M. Colorectal Polyps and Polyposis Syndromes. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430761/
Dornblaser D, Young S, Shaukat A. Colon polyps: updates in classification and management. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2024 Jan;40(1):14-20. doi: 10.1097/MOG.0000000000000988
Pickhardt PJ, Pooler BD, Kim DH, Hassan C, Matkowskyj KA, Halberg RB. The Natural History of Colorectal Polyps: Overview of Predictive Static and Dynamic Features. Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 2018 Sep;47(3):515-536. doi: 10.1016/j.gtc.2018.04.004
Aarons CB, Shanmugan S, Bleier JI. Management of malignant colon polyps: current status and controversies. World J Gastroenterol. 2014 Nov 21;20(43):16178-16183. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i43.16178
Yoshizawa N, Yamaguchi H, Kaminishi M. Differential diagnosis of solitary gastric Peutz-Jeghers-type polyp with stomach cancer: a case report. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2018;51:261–264. doi: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2018.09.005
Brandaleone L, Buono D, Gabbiadini R, Marcozzi G, Polverini D, Carvello M, Spinelli A, Hassan C, Repici A, Bezzio C, et al. Hereditary Colorectal Cancer Syndromes and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Risk Management and Surveillance Strategies. Cancers (Basel). 2024 Aug 26;16(17):2967. doi: 10.3390/cancers16172967
Patel R, Hyer W. Practical management of polyposis syndromes. Frontline Gastroenterol. 2019 Oct;10(4):379-387. doi: 10.1136/flgastro-2018-101053
Shussman N, Wexner SD. Colorectal polyps and polyposis syndromes. Gastroenterol Rep (Oxf). 2014 Feb;2(1):1-15. doi: 10.1093/gastro/got041
Sninsky JA, Shore BM, Lupu GV, Crockett SD. Risk factors for colorectal polyps and cancer. Gastrointest Endosc Clin N Am. 2022 Apr 1;32(2):195-213. doi: 10.1016/j.giec.2021.12.008
Shaukat A, Kaltenbach T, Dominitz JA, Robertson DJ, Anderson JC, Cruise M, Burke CA, Gupta S, Lieberman D, Syngal S, et al. Endoscopic recognition and management strategies for malignant colorectal polyps: Recommendations of the US multi-society task force on colorectal cancer. Am J Gastroenterol. 2020 Nov;115(11):1916–1934. doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000001013
Hilmi M. The prevalence and histopathological types of colonic polyps removed during colonoscopy in a tertiary hospital center: A four-year retrospective study. Iraqi J Comm Med. 2025;38(2):123-128. doi: 10.4103/irjcm.irjcm_44_24
Iravani S, Kashfi SM, Azimzadeh P, Lashkari MH. Prevalence and characteristics of colorectal polyps in symptomatic and asymptomatic Iranian patients undergoing colonoscopy from 2009-2013. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2014;15(22):9933-9937. doi: 10.7314/APJCP.2014.15.22.9933
Sha J, Chen J, Lv X, Liu S, Chen R, Zhang Z. Computed tomography colonography versus colonoscopy for detection of colorectal cancer: a diagnostic performance study. BMC Med Imaging. 2020 May 18;20(1):51. doi: 10.1186/s12880-020-00446-7
Gupta S. Screening for colorectal cancer. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2022 Jun 1;36(3):393-414. doi: 10.1016/j.hoc.2022.02.001
Zhang J, Sun H, Xiong F, Lei S, Zhou G, Xiao X, Liu L, Wang X. The absolute number of small and diminutive adenomas with high-grade dysplasia is substantially higher compared with large adenomas: a retrospective pooled study. Front Oncol. 2024 Feb 15;14:1294745. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1294745
Pickhardt PJ, Hain KS, Kim DH, Hassan C. Low rates of cancer or high-grade dysplasia in colorectal polyps collected from computed tomography colonography screening. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2010 Jul;8(7):610-615. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2010.03.007
Von Elm E, Altman DG, Egger M, Pocock SJ, Gøtzsche PC, Vandenbroucke JP. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. Lancet. 2007 Oct 20;370(9596):1453-1457. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61602-X
Ahadi M, Sokolova A, Brown I, Chou A, Gill AJ. The 2019 World Health Organization Classification of appendiceal, colorectal, and anal canal tumors: an update and critical assessment. Pathology. 2021 Jun;53(4):454-461. doi: 10.1016/j.pathol.2020.10.010
Dsouza R, Menon G, Pfeifer C. Colonoscopy. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559274/
Bafandeh Y, Khoshbaten M, Sadat A, Farhang S. Clinical predictors of colorectal polyps and carcinoma in a low-prevalence region: results of a colonoscopy-based study. World J Gastroenterol. 2008 Mar 14;14(10):1534-1538. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.1534
Cai J, Yuan Z, Zhang S. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation—which symptom is more indispensable to having a colonoscopy? Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2015 Jan 1;8(1):938-942.
Roka K, Kc I, Jha S, Subedi R, Adhikari A. Pattern of Lower Gastrointestinal Diseases on Colonoscopy and Histopathological Examination in a Tertiary Care Center of Nepal. Med J Shree Birendra Hosp. 2022;21(1):87–92. doi: 10.3126/mjsbh.v21i1.41983
Hu H, Gong X, Xu K, Luo S, Gao W, Li B, Jing D. Risk factor analysis of malignant adenomas detected during colonoscopy. Front Med (Lausanne). 2023 Feb 16;10:1106272. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1106272
Chen Z, Hu J, Zheng Z, Wang C, Lin D, Huang Y, Lan P, He X. Location of colorectal adenomas and serrated polyps in patients under age 50. Int J Colorectal Dis. 2019 Dec;34(12):2201–2204. doi: 10.1007/s00384-019-03445-5
Shen Y, Di M, Deng Y, Xu M, Xue Z. Profile of colorectal polyps in young patients: A retrospective study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2025 May 16;104(20):e42475. doi: 10.1097/md.0000000000042475
Bhusal Y, Basnet B, Shrestha R, Poudel M, Khanal A, Poudyal N, Shah M, Khadka D, Bhusal S. Colorectal polyps in young patients undergoing colonoscopy. J Nepal Health Res Counc. 2025;22(4):720–724. doi: 10.33314/jnhrc.v22i04.5325
Laird-Fick H, Chahal G, Olomu A, Gardiner J, Richard J, Dimitrov N. Colonic polyp histopathology and location in a community-based sample of older adults. BMC Gastroenterol. 2016 Aug 2;16(1):90. doi: 10.1186/s12876-016-0497-1
Silva S, Rosa V, Santos A, De Almeida R, De Oliveira P, De Sousa J. Influence of patient age and colorectal polyp size on histopathology findings. ABCD Arq Bras Cir Dig. 2014 Apr-Jun;27(2):109–113. doi: 10.1590/s0102-67202014000200006
Harewood R, Wooldrage K, Robbins E, Kinross J, Von Wagner C, Cross A. Association of distal adenoma and hyperplastic polyp characteristics with long-term proximal colon cancer risk: a secondary, observational analysis of data from the UK Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Screening Trial. BMJ Open Gastroenterol. 2025 Jun 23;12(1):e001787. doi: 10.1136/bmjgast-2025-001787
Huang J, Wang Y, Jiang J, Yu C, Wu Y, Chen P, Yuan X, et al. The Association between Distal Findings and Proximal Colorectal Neoplasia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Am J Gastroenterol. 2017 Aug;112(8):1234–1245. doi: 10.1038/ajg.2017.130
Al-Jameel HH, Alhibaly HA, Al Ameri AM. Prevalence of Colon Polyps Detected in Patients Who Did Colonoscopy in the Karbala Gastroenterology Center. Kerbala J Med. 2020 Jun 1;13(1):14–22. doi: 10.70863/karbalajm.v13i1.779
Almadi MA, Alharbi O, Azzam N, Wadera J, Sadaf N, Aljebreen AM. Prevalence and characteristics of colonic polyps and adenomas in 2654 colonoscopies in Saudi Arabia. Saudi J Gastroenterol. 2014 May-Jun;20(3):154–161. doi: 10.4103/1319-3767.132986
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Contemporary Medical Sciences

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

