Clinical observation of specific changes of auricular points in patients with colorectal polyps: A case-control study

To observe the specific changes of auricular points in patients with colorectal polyps (CPs) by auricular assessment. To summarize the clusters of auricular point-specific changes in patients with CPs, and to inform further research into auricular point assisted diagnosis of CPs. A total of 300 participants, with 150 having CPs and 150 having no CPs, were recruited for this case-control study. Auricular assessment included visual inspection, electrical skin resistance measurement, and tenderness testing. The chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis were used to determine the association between categorical variables. And calculated the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value of each acupoint for CPs. Compared with the control group, the polyps group had more significant skin changes in the auricular point "Esophagus," morphological changes in the auricular point "Stomach," color changes in the auricular point "Duodenum," color changes in the auricular point "Shenmen," and shape changes in the auricular point "Rectum" observed on visual examination (P < .05). There was a significant difference in the electrical positive detection rate at 8 auricular acupoints, the "Large Intestine," the "Appendix," the "Small Intestine," the "Kidney," the "Pancreas and Gallbladder," the "Center of Superior Concha," and the "Shenmen" between the 2 groups (P < .05). In the polyps group, 4 auricular acupoints, the "Duodenum," the "Large Intestine," the "Small Intestine," and the "Center of Superior Concha" showed more pronounced tenderness than in the control group. Among these auricular acupoints, the "Large Intestine" also showed the highest PPV of 61.5 on electrical skin resistance measurement, and the highest specificity of 53.3, PPV of 58.3, and negative predictive value of 60.6 on tenderness testing. This study showed that specificity changes in some of the auricular points such as the "Large Intestine," the "Rectum," the "Small Intestine," the "Center of Superior Concha," the "Shenmen," and the "Kidney" are strongly correlated with the prevalence of CPs. Auricular diagnosis has a pre-diagnostic value. It is considered to establish the clusters of auricular point-specific changes to realize the early screening of CPs.