Introduction: Polyps of the upper gastrointestinal tract are rarely cause symptoms and usually
revealed during gastro-duodenoscopy performed for other reasons. Despite it the diagnosis
and correct treatment is important because some polyps have malignant potential. Aims: Our aim was to assess the effectiveness and safety of upper gastrointestinal polypectomy
performed in the last year in our department. Patients and methods: We searched for patients who had upper gastrointestinal tract polypectomy in the
last year using the Medical Center database (MedWorkS). Results: In the study period we have performed 58 (29 female/29 male) endoscopic polypectomy
in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Patients mean age were 66.3 ± 14.8 years. Seventeen
patients (29%) were on antiaggregation treatment and 6 (10.3%) received low molecular
weight heparin. Most of the patients (59% (n = 34)) were asymptomatic. Large proportion
of them (21%, n = 12) showed multiple polyps, as well. The localisation was in the
body, antrum, fornix of the stomach and duodenum in 41% (n = 24), 24% (n = 14), 10%
(n = 6) and 24% (n = 14), respectively. The mean polyp size was 9.0 ± 8.1 (2 – 30)mm.
The complications we had were only 3 (5%) cases of postpolypectomy bleeding. Two (3%)
of them needed endoscopic treatment, but none of them need transfusions. Perforation
has not occurred. From the evaluable (91%, n = 53) histological sampling we most commonly
found hyperplastic polyps (39% (n = 19)) followed by adenoma (26%, n = 14) and fundic
gland polyps (25%, n = 13). Summary: In our study we found that about a quarter of
the removed upper gastrointestinal polyps were adenoma, that known to be a precancerous
condition. However, based on literature data adenomas are associated with synchronous
carcinoma in 8 – 59% of the cases, we did not find any cancer at the time of adenoma
diagnosis. Therefore patients after removal of upper gastrointestinal adenomas should
be followed endoscopically, regularly.