Endoscopic diagnosis and management of gastric polyps: A clinical study

Abstract

Purpose: Gastric polyps are rare lesions and they can be found incidentally during upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy. In this study, characteristics of patients with gastric polyps were investigated.

Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the patients diagnosed with gastric polyp from the records in endoscopy and pathology units. Demographic, clinical, histo-pathological findings and one-year follow up results were evaluated. The patients were integrated in a follow up program for one year following the diagnosis.

Results: Among the 1700 upper gastrointestinal endoscopic examination, 49 (2.9%) patients were diagnosed with gastric polyp. 27 (55.1%) of the 49 patients were male and 22 (44.9%) were female and median age was 51.9 years (min: 22, max: 86). Dyspepsia was the most frequent (51%) symptom of the patients with polyps. 34 patients had (69.4%) single and 15 (30.6%) patients had multiple polyps. 43 (87.8%) of the polyps that underwent excision or biopsy were sessile. Polypoid lesions were observed with the highest frequency in the antrum (25 patients, 51%) and with the lowest frequency in the cardia (3 patients, 6.1%). Gastritis (45.8%) was the most frequent accompanying endoscopic pathology among these patients. Multiple polyps were most frequent in antrum (10 patients, 66.7%). Eradication of Helicobacter pylori caused a tendency in the reduction in the sizes of the unremoved polyps.

Conclusion: Endoscopic investigation should be done in patients complaining from dyspepsia, particularly over 50 years of age. The effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication in the treatment of polyps that cannot be excised should also be evaluated on data from a larger number of patients.