Serrated Polyps and the Risk of Synchronous Colorectal Advanced Neoplasia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES:Serrated polyps of the colon comprise a heterogeneous group of lesions with distinct histological and malignant features. The presence of serrated polyps has been associated with synchronous advanced neoplasia, although the magnitude of this relationship is unclear.METHODS:Using studies identified from systematic literature search up to February 2014, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the pooled prevalence of serrated polyps and their association with synchronous advanced neoplasia. Random-effects models were used to combine estimates from heterogeneous studies, and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were presented.RESULTS:Nine studies with 34,084 participants were included. The mean age of subjects was 59.9±6.6 years and 52.5% of the subjects were male. Pooled prevalence of serrated polyps was 15.6% (95% CI, 10.3-22.9%). The pooled OR of advanced neoplasia in individuals with serrated polyps was 2.05 (95% CI, 1.38-3.04). Pooled analysis showed that the presence of proximal serrated polyps (OR=2.77, 95% CI, 1.71-4.46) and large serrated polyps (OR=4.10, 95% CI, 2.69-6.26) was associated with an increased risk of synchronous advanced neoplasia. The pooled OR for advanced neoplasia in individuals with proximal and large serrated polyps was 3.35 (95% CI, 2.51-4.46). Considerable heterogeneity was observed in most analyses.CONCLUSIONS:Our meta-analysis showed that serrated polyps are associated with a more than twofold increased risk of detection of synchronous advanced neoplasia. Individuals with proximal and large serrated polyps have the highest risk. These individuals deserve surveillance colonoscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]