Simple Clinical Risk Score Identifies Patients with Serrated Polyps in Routine Practice

Large, proximal, or dysplastic (LPD) serrated polyps (SP) need accurate endoscopic recognition and removal as these might progress to colorectal cancer. Herewith, we examined the risk factors for having >= 1 LPD SP. We developed and validated a simple SP risk score as a potential tool for improving their detection. We reviewed clinical, endoscopic, and histologic features of serrated polyps in a study of patients undergoing elective colonoscopy (derivation cohort). A self-administered questionnaire was obtained. We conducted logistic regression analyses to identify independent risk factors for having >= 1 LPD SP and incorporated significant variables into a clinical score. We subsequently tested the performance of the SP score in a validation cohort. We examined 2,244 patients in the derivation and 2,402 patients in the validation cohort; 6.3% and 8.2% had >= 1 LPD SP, respectively. Independent risk factors for LPD SPs were age of more than 50 years [OR 2.2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.3-3.8; P = 0.004], personal history of serrated polyps (OR 2.6; 95% CI, 1.3-4.9; P = 0.005), current smoking (OR 2.2; 95% CI, 1.4-3.6; P = 0.001), and nondaily/no aspirin use (OR 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1-3.0; P = 0.016). In the validation cohort, a SP score > 5 points was associated with a 3.0-fold increased odds for LPD SPs, compared with patients with a score < 5 points. In the present study, age of more than 50 years, a personal history of serrated polyps, current smoking, and nondaily/no aspirin use were independent risk factors for having LPD SPs. The SP score might aid the endoscopist in the detection of such lesions.