Population-Based Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Abnormalities at Colon Capsule Endoscopy

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Epidemiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• The prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases in asymptomatic populations is poorly understood.
• Assessing GI disease in individuals without symptoms presents significant challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of GI lesions in a largely asymptomatic population using colon capsule endoscopy (CCE).
• To establish a baseline for GI lesion prevalence in the general Western population.

Main Methods:

• Participants aged 50-75 from the Rotterdam Study (2017-2019) underwent CCE.
• Clinically relevant abnormalities were defined by specific criteria for esophageal, small bowel, and colon findings.
• 462 participants ingested the capsule, with 451 videos analyzed.

Main Results:

• Nearly all analyzed CCE videos (99.3%) revealed at least one abnormality.
• The colon showed the highest prevalence of abnormalities (93.3%), primarily diverticula (81.2%).
• Clinically relevant abnormalities were detected in 12% of participants, including polyps and one case of colorectal cancer.

Conclusions:

• Gastrointestinal lesions are highly prevalent in asymptomatic Western individuals.
• Colon capsule endoscopy identified clinically significant GI abnormalities in 12% of the study cohort.
• These findings offer valuable reference data for GI lesion prevalence in the general population.