To explore the clinical, endoscopic and pathological features of elderly patients with colorectal polyps.

The medical records of 2 365 inpatients who underwent endoscopic surgery for colorectal polyps in Huadong Hospital affiliated to Fudan University from January 2015 to June 2021 were selected. The included patients were divided into elderly group (≥ 60 years old, n=1 391) and young and middle-aged group (< 60 years old, n=974). χ² test and Fisher's precision probability test were used to compare the clinical, endoscopic and pathological features of elderly patients with young and middle-aged patients.

Among the included 2 365 patients, 1 517 (64.1%) were asymptomatic and fecal occult blood negative, 848(35.9%) had clinical symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, change of defecation habits, hematochezia and positive fecal occult blood test. Elderly patients had a higher incidence of constipation than the young and middle-aged patients (3.3% vs. 1.2%, χ²=10.310, P < 0.01). Elderly patients had a higher proportion of multiple polyps than the young and middle-aged patients (54.6% vs. 48.7%, χ²=8.187, P < 0.01), the colorectal polyps were mainly distributed in ascending colon (18.4% vs. 13.9%, χ²=18.835, P < 0.01), and the proportion of adenomatous polyps was higher too (72.1% vs. 69.2%, χ²=6.477, P < 0.05).

Elderly patients with colorectal polyps usually have no obvious symptoms, but constipation is more common. Compared with young and middle-aged patients, elderly patients have multiple colorectal polyps, more ascending colon polyps, and higher risk of adenomatous polyps.