Clinical Characteristics and Associated Factors of Colonic Polyps in Acromegaly.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical characteristics and associated factors of colonic polyps in patients with acromegaly.

Methods: Clinical characteristics and colonoscopy findings of 86 acromegaly patients who received treatment were retrospectively reviewed, and colonoscopy findings and the correlation with growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary adenoma (GHPA) volume and hormonal/metabolic levels were analyzed.

Results: The prevalence of colonic polyps in acromegaly patients was 40.7% and increased significantly with advanced age, especially in those ≥50 years. Multiple polyps (62.8%) and colonic polyps in the left colon (54.2%) were detected more frequently. Compared to acromegaly patients without polyps, those with polyps displayed higher insulin-like growth factor-1 × upper limit of normal (IGF-1×ULN) levels (=0.03). IGF-1 levels and GHPA volumes in patients with polyps showed increasing trends, although the differences were not significant. GH levels were higher in patients with polyps of diameter ≤5 mm than those with polyps of diameter >5 mm (=0.031). The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that GHPA volumes (OR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01-1.20; =0.039) and IGF-1×ULN Q2 levels (OR: 6.51, 95% CI: 1.20-44.60; =0.038) were independent factors for predicting the risk of colonic polyp occurrence in acromegaly patients. A nomogram was prepared to evaluate the risk of colonic polyps in acromegaly patients.

Conclusion: The acromegalic patients are a population with a high prevalence of colonic polyps. GHPA volumes and IGF-1×ULN levels may be predictors of colonic polyp occurrence.