Can polyps removal cause an elevation in fecal calprotectin?

Question

Hello doctor,

My fecal calprotectin was 74 μg/mg four to five months ago and two months ago it was 274 μg/mg. I have IBS, and gerd. I had both a colonoscopy and endoscopy and enteroscopy afterward and they removed five polyps in my large intestine and four polyps in my small intestine. I also recently had a high dose of PPI. No cancer was detected. Would these things have elevated my CP? I am also very anxious.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com

I read your query and understand your concern. I have reviewed your case history in detail so, fecal calprotectin is an inflammatory marker, raised in both inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis) and infective colitis like simple colon infection. It is great that your endoscopic procedures are grossly normal except for the polyps which were removed. I hope their biopsies were normal too. I would recommend taking regular probiotics for two to four weeks. Avoid eating out and take soft home-cooked meals. Recheck fecal calprotectin after three to four weeks and this time check your stool detailed report as well to find out any infection in your gut. Do normal endoscopy procedures in the absence of red flag signs like rectal bleeding, unintentional weight loss, or a family history of cancer. The absence of a family history of cancer is a reassuring point. I hope I have cleared all your doubts.

Thank you.