BACKGROUND: Screening colonoscopy is not obligatory in kidney pre-transplant work-up guidelines. According to recommendations, only transplant recipients over age 50 years should be screened. The aim of this study was to characterize endoscopic findings revealed as part of pre-transplant work-up.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed pre-transplant work-up charts of 434 adult patients who received a cadaveric donor kidney transplantation (KT) from 2012 to 2015. Endoscopic findings analysis with age subgroup (<50 and ³50) analysis were performed.

RESULTS: Out of 434 of patients that underwent KT, 29% have had a colonoscopy. In 75.6% of those, pathologies were found. Hemorrhoids were found in 33% and polyps in 30.7% of patients. Adenoma detection rate (ADR) was 18.1% (67.5% distal predominance). Advanced ADR was 10.2% (distal predominance). Diverticulosis was found in 28.3% of patients and ulcerative colitis was found in 2.4%. In age subgroup analysis, ADR was higher in patients ³50 years compared to those <50 years (21.6% vs. 4%; p=0.041).

CONCLUSIONS: Colonoscopy as part of pre-transplant work-up enables removal of precancerous lesions and management of benign findings. All candidates meeting criteria for the general population should be screened. Patients under age 50 years could also benefit from colonoscopy as part of the pre-transplant work-up. Therefore, we suggest that baseline colonoscopy should be included in pre-transplant work-up guidelines for all patients, regardless of age. However, further studies are needed to confirm this recommendation.

Keywords: Colonoscopy, Colorectal Neoplasms, Early Detection of Cancer, Kidney Transplantation, Primary Prevention