Indications for Colonoscopy and Adenomatous Polyp Yield by Indication (N = 731)
| Indication* | % (No.) | With Adenomas†% (No.) |
|---|---|---|
| * Some patients had more than 1 indication. | ||
| † Villous adenomas and adenomatous polyps are considered together as adenomas. | ||
| ‡ The relatively low percentage of screening studies is attributed to Medicare coverage for screening colonoscopy not occurring until 2000, late in the case series. | ||
| Previous polyps | 22.2 (229) | 32.3 (74) |
| Rectal bleeding | 19.8 (204) | 16.7 (34) |
| Family history of | 10.5 (108) | 18.5 (20) |
| colon cancer | ||
| Abdominal pain | 10.0 (103) | 15.5 (16) |
| Screening‡ | 9.3 (96) | 17.7 (17) |
| Heme-positive stool | 6.5 (67) | 25.4 (17) |
| Iron deficiency | 4.2 (43) | 14.0 (6) |
| Constipation | 3.9 (40) | 15.0 (6) |
| Change in bowel habits | 3.8 (39) | 25.6 (10) |
| Chronic diarrhea | 2.7 (28) | 17.9 (5) |
| Weight loss | 0.3 (3) | 0.0 (0) |
| Other | 6.2 (64) | — |
| Nonspecified | 0.7 (7) | — |