ABSTRACT PURPOSE: Analyze the findings of rigid retossigmoidoscopy in asymptomatic patients above 50 years old. METHOD: Prospective analysis of 208 asymptomatic patients above 50 years and without familiar history of colorectal cancer which were submitted to rigid retossigmoidoscopy for colorectal cancer screening on a period of 14 months. RESULTS: 4.8% of the studied patients had polyps which size varied from 3mm 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. The patients with polyps on sigmoidoscopic exam then were submitted to videocolonoscopic investigation; of these, seven patients had no other polyps on examination and one had two polyps on right colon. CONCLUSION: The rigid sigmoidoscopy is an accessible and safe tool for colorectal cancer screening, allowing identifying premalignant lesions in asymptomatic patients.
Colorectal cancer; rectosigmosdoscopy
