Current management of diminutive colorectal polyps in Taiwan

The majority of polyps detected during colonoscopy are diminutive polyps, for which the cost of pathological analysis is substantial. In our analysis of a screening cohort of 10737 subjects undergoing screening colonoscopy, a total of 15877 neoplastic lesions were detected, of which 10816 (68.1%) were diminutive lesions. Of those diminutive lesions, 90 (0.83%) had a villous component, 14 (0.1%) had high-grade dysplasia, and none had invasive cancer. Only 1.3% of patients were advised to decrease their surveillance interval because of unfavorable histology. Laws regulating medical practice, uncertainty regarding the accuracy of endoscopic diagnosis of diminutive polyps outside of academic centers, and the relatively low cost of pathological analysis are among the barriers to adopting a 'resect and discard' practice in Taiwan.