Demographics and Clinical Characteristics of Patients With CPUE: A Retrospective Study

This study examines the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with CPUE (colonic polyposis of unknown etiology) to determine who may benefit from increased surveillance.

CPUE refers to individuals with 10 or more colonic adenomas with no identifiable genetic mutation as determined by multigene panel testing. Unlike hereditary syndromes, such as familial adenomatous polyposis, CPUE lacks well-established guidelines for polyp and colorectal cancer surveillance, relying heavily on expert opinion.

This single-center retrospective study included 75 individuals over the age of 18. Data on demographics, medical history, social history, and endoscopic data were collected via chart review. Patients were stratified by total number of polyps (10 to 19, 20 to 29, and over 30). Data were analyzed using the Pearson χ 2 test for categorical variables and ANOVA to compare means.

Among all CPUE patients, 58.7% were male, and 89.3% were white. Tobacco use was reported in 44.0% of patients. Nearly half had hypertension (49.3%) or hyperlipidemia (49.3%). The total prevalence of CRC was 10.7%. Of the 44 patients who underwent EGD, 25.0% had at least one gastric polyp. No statistically significant differences were found between the 3 groups.

The NCCN recommends exercising clinical judgment for the management of those with 10 to 19 adenomas; however, these findings suggest that individuals in that group do not significantly differ from patients with 20 or more adenomas and may therefore benefit from similar management.