ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Recently, geriatric diseases become the matter of concern, and the neoplastic lesion of colon including polyp and cancer by the western-style diet is increasing. The aims of this study were to assess the relations between colon diseases, clinical manifestations and features of colonoscopic finding in elderly. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated records of 764 patients underwent colonoscopy. Colonoscopic finding, each colon diseases and lower gastrointestinal symptoms were analyzed to compare between two groups, which are 416 elders aged over 65 and control of 348 adults aged from 25 to 65. RESULTS: Both two groups underwent colonoscopy showed lower abdominal pain is the most symptom of lower gastrointestinal symptoms. But, anaemia and bowel habit change were significantly high frequency in the elderly group while diarrhea appeared in the control group(p<0.05). Colon polyp and cancer were significantly increased frequency in the elderly group(p<0.05). Symptoms such as diarrhea and hematochezia were significantly high in case of colon polyp of elderly group(p<0.05). But in case of colon cancer, lower abdominal pain had significantly high in the control group compared with the elderly group who had various lower gastrointestinal symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, hematochezia, bowel habit change(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: As people getting older, the incidence of colon polys and cancer is higher, and non-specific, various clinical manifestations are seen. Therefore, we think that seniors who have change in bowel habit, abdominal pain, hematochezia or constipation need colonoscopy increasingly and should pay attention to find neoplastic lesions.