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Non-association between acrochordons and colonic polyps in a minority population
Abbasi J Akhtar1, Jiaying Zhuo
1Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine. Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA. abakhtar@cdrewu.edu
Purpose:
To determine usefulness of skin tags as a predictor of colonic polyps, in patients of a minority population.
Setting:
Inner-city community hospital serving predominantly African Americans and Hispanics.
Methods:
Evaluation of 480 consecutive patients undergoing colonoscopy. The presence or absence of skin tags was noted, and their correlation with the colonic polyps determined.
Results:
Colonic polyps were detected in 92 patients (19%). None of these patients had skin tags, whereas skin tags were found in 87 patients (18%), and none of them had colonic polyps.
Conclusion:
The mere presence of acrochordons (skin tags) should not be used as an indication for screening colonoscopy especially in African Americans and Hispanics.