Abstract
Aberrant crypt foci (ACF) are the earliest detectable abnormality and precede adenomas. We wanted to determine the adenoma incidence over a 1-year period after polypectomy. Eighty-nine subjects were recruited from the population of Japanese individuals who underwent polypectomy at our institution. A total of 366 ACFs were identified in the 89 patients; all had baseline adenomas removed at the first colonoscopy examination and returned after 1 year. ACFs in the lower rectum were assessed at year 0, and the study group was divided into two groups depending on the number of ACFs: 0-3 ACFs in the first group and 4 or more ACFs in the second group. All participants were examined with regard to the number and maximum size of the adenomas. There was no statistical difference in the number and maximum size of the ACFs at year 0; however, the maximum size was larger in the 4-or-more group than in the 0-3 group at year 1. The meaning of the number of ACFs is not yet clear. However, the number of ACFs may be a predictive factor of the relatively large adenoma incidence in the pilot-phase study.
