Determination of large bowel length and loop complexity in patients with acromegaly undergoing screening colonoscopy

Summary Background Patients with acromegaly are at moderately increased risk of developing colorectal cancer and may be considered for screening colonoscopy. In turn, large bowel dimensions may be increased in these patients, factors that predict for increased risk of serious complications such as perforation. Objective To evaluate this risk potential, we measured large bowel length and loop complexity using magnetic endoscopic imaging (MEI). Design Case–control study in 25 unselected patients with acromegaly (mean age 56 years) vs. 41 nonacromegalic controls (mean age 60 years) undergoing screening colonoscopy. Measurements MEI parameters were determined and age‐ and sex‐adjusted mean differences calculated. The dependency of total large bowel length on various demographic and disease‐related factors (e.g. GH exposure, IGF‐I and IGFBP‐3 concentrations) was assessed using regression techniques. Results Total large bowel length was increased by 20%[95% confidence interval (CI) 9–31%] in patients with acromegaly compared with controls (unadjusted and adjusted; P‐values