Pseudopolyps May Not Be a Risk Factor for Colorectal Neoplasia

Several factors are thought to contribute to the increased risk for colorectal dysplasia and neoplasia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). One is pseudopolyposis, which is thought to increase this risk by increasing the difficulty of finding true polyps in a field of abnormal mucosa.

In a large multicenter, retrospective review from five academic centers and two nonacademic centers in the Netherlands and New York City, researchers assessed risk for colorectal neoplasia in nearly 1600 patients with long-standing IBD undergoing surveillance colonoscopy. Twenty-nine percent had pseudopolyps. After 5 years of follow-up, there was no elevated risk for advanced colorectal neoplasia in patients with pseudopolyps (adjusted hazard rati…