Comparison of cold snare polypectomy for sessile serrated lesions ≥10 mm between experienced and trainee endoscopists: A propensity score matching cohort study.

Objectives: Previous studies of cold snare polypectomy (CSP) for sessile serrated lesions (SSLs) ≥10 mm were performed by experienced endoscopists, and therefore their skills might have significantly influenced results. In this study, we compared the efficacy and safety of CSP for SSLs ≥10 mm between experienced and trainee endoscopists. Methods: In a 1:1 propensity score matched retrospective cohort study, we compared the complete resection rate, en-bloc resection rate, adverse event rate, and procedure time between experienced and trainee groups. Thirteen endoscopists performed CSP, and we defined the experienced group as endoscopists with board certification from the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society. Results: We examined 616 lesions with SSLs ≥10 mm resected by CSP between February 2018 and May 2022. We excluded 61 lesions from the analysis because they had simultaneously undergone hot snare polypectomy (n = 57) or had been taken over by experienced endoscopists from trainees in the CSP procedure (n = 4). Finally, we identified 217 propensity score-matched pairs (n = 434). Between experienced and trainee groups, the results were complete resection rate (100 vs. 100%; p = 1.00), en-bloc resection rate (73.2 vs. 75.6%; p = 0.24), adverse event rate (3.2 vs. 2.8%; p = 0.77), or procedure time (6.2 vs. 5.9 min; p = 0.64). Conclusions: We have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of CSP for SSLs ≥10 mm performed by experienced and trainee endoscopists.

Perigastric abscess caused by delayed perforation after gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection: successful conservative treatment without perforation closure: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Perigastric abscess caused by delayed perforation after endoscopic submucosal dissection is a very rare complication. In principle, delayed perforation after endoscopic submucosal dissection is treated surgically. Herein, we report a case of perigastric abscess caused by delayed perforation after gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection that was treated conservatively, without perforation closure, and in which the patient was discharged from hospital in a short period. CASE PRESENTATION: A-74-year-old Asian man was diagnosed with having early gastric cancer on follow-up endoscopy and was admitted to our hospital for endoscopic resection. Endoscopic submucosal dissection was performed without intraoperative complications. On postoperative day 2, the patient complained of a slight abdominal pain localized to the epigastric region and a small amount of melena. A computed tomography scan revealed the presence of free air in the peritoneal cavity, and a little fluid collection abutting the dorsal area of the stomach. An endoscopy examination showed a deep ulcer with the accumulation of pus, suggesting a perforation in the post-endoscopic submucosal dissection ulcer. We diagnosed a perigastric abscess, caused by delayed perforation after endoscopic submucosal dissection, and opted for conservative treatment, leaving the perforation site open to allow spontaneous drainage from the abscess into the stomach. A follow-up computed tomography scan revealed an encapsuled and localized perigastric abscess on postoperative day 5, and the disappearance of the free air and the regression of the perigastric abscess on postoperative day 7. A follow-up endoscopy examination on postoperative day 7 showed the closure of the perforation. Finally, surgery was avoided, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 14, after a relatively short hospital stay. CONCLUSION: Regarding the treatment of perigastric abscess, caused by delayed perforation after endoscopic submucosal dissection, leaving the perforation site open to allow spontaneous drainage may shorten the conservative treatment period.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection using an ultrathin endoscope for superficial pharyngeal cancer: a prospective feasibility study (with video).

Background and study aims Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) of pharyngeal cancers with conventional endoscopes often is difficult, not only because of the narrow working space, but also because endoscope maneuverability in the pharynx is poor due to interference from the endotracheal tube and/or hyoid bone. However, we hypothesized that those problems could possibly be resolved by use of an ultrathin endoscope for ESD of superficial pharyngeal cancer. The aim of this prospective interventional study was to investigate the feasibility of ESD for superficial pharyngeal cancer using an ultrathin endoscope. Patients and methods This feasibility study was conducted at NTT Medical Center Tokyo between June 2020 and September 2021, and data from a total of 20 consecutively superficial pharyngeal cancers were analyzed. The primary outcome measure was the R0 resection rate. The ESD completion rate, en bloc resection rate, procedure time, and frequency of intraoperative and postoperative adverse events (AEs) were also evaluated as secondary outcome measures. Results Data from 16 patients with 20 lesions were included in the analysis. All of the lesions were successfully resected by ultrathin endoscope ESD, and the en bloc and R0 resection rates were 100 % and 85.0 % (17/20), respectively; the procedure time was 37.8 ±â€Š28.2 minutes. No intraoperative or postoperative AEs were encountered in any cases. Conclusions ESD using an ultrathin endoscope is feasible for superficial pharyngeal cancers and has potential to be a safe and effective treatment option for these cancers.

Successful esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection with intraoperative release of stenosis due to previous endoscopic submucosal dissection scarring.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is the standard endoscopic treatment for early esophageal cancer. Esophageal stricture often occurs at the site of ESD for large lesions. When treating a metachronous lesion appearing at the severe stricture, it may be difficult to negotiate a conventional endoscope through the stricture. Using a thin endoscope may be a useful strategy for such lesions, though ESD using a thin endoscope is challenging because of poor maneuverability. Herein, we report a case of successful ESD for early esophageal cancer at the severe stricture, using a conventional endoscope. A 72-year-old man with a previous history of ESD for esophageal cancer and a post-ESD esophageal stricture was referred to our hospital for metachronous early esophageal cancer. The lesion, 10 mm in diameter, was located at the stricture with a slight distal extension. Conventional endoscopes could not be negotiated through stricture. Therefore, submucosal dissection was performed from the oral to the anal aspect of the lesion, as far as possible. After completion of submucosal dissection of the oral aspect of the lesion and part of the lesion located on the stricture, the severe stricture was released, allowing the passage of conventional endoscope, and ESD of the entire lesion was completed en bloc. Histopathological examination showed squamous cell carcinoma, pT1a-LPM. Stricture due to scarring may occur during the regeneration process of the defective mucosa, muscularis mucosa, and submucosal layer. Therefore, incision and dissection of the contracted mucosa, mucularis mucosa, and submucosal layer would release the stenosis.

Safety and Efficacy of Cold Snare Polypectomy Without Submucosal Injection for Large Sessile Serrated Lesions: A Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Cold snare polypectomy (CSP) has become the standard resection method for small colorectal polyps (<10 mm). Sessile serrated lesions (SSL) have low prevalence of advanced histology irrespective of size, and thus could be amenable to CSP. In this study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of CSP for SSLs ≥10 mm. METHODS: Between November 2018 and January 2020, we prospectively enrolled 300 consecutive patients who underwent CSP for 474 SSLs ≥10 mm. To delineate SSL borders, indigo carmine chromoendoscopy and/or image-enhanced endoscopy was conducted. Piecemeal CSP (pCSP) was performed in cases where en-bloc resection was difficult. Biopsy specimens were obtained from the margins of the post-polypectomy defect to confirm complete resection. Surveillance colonoscopy was performed to screen for local recurrence. RESULTS: All lesions were successfully resected using CSP without submucosal injection. The median diameter of the resected lesions was 14 mm, and pCSP was used to resect 106 (22%) lesions. Post-polypectomy biopsies revealed residual serrated tissue in only one case (0.2%). Adverse events included immediate bleeding in 8 (3%) patients; no delayed bleeding events occurred, irrespective of the use of antithrombotic drugs. During a 7-month median follow-up period, surveillance colonoscopies were performed for 384 lesions (81%), and no local recurrences were detected. CONCLUSIONS: CSP without submucosal injection is a safe and effective treatment for SSLs ≥10 mm. UMIN Clinical Trials, Number: UMIN000034763.

A new classification for the diagnosis of superficial non-ampullary duodenal epithelial tumors using endocytoscopy: A prospective study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Although the frequency of endoscopic diagnosis of superficial non-ampullary duodenal epithelial tumors (SNADETs) has been increasing in recent years, no criteria for the endoscopic diagnosis of these tumors have been established yet. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of endocytoscopy for diagnosis SNADETs and to establish new criteria. METHODS: This prospective study was conducted at the NTT Medical Center Tokyo from May 2019 to July 2020, and a total of 100 consecutive SNADETs were enrolled. All the endocytoscopic images of the lesions and surrounding normal mucosa were classified into three groups according to the degree of structural atypia and the nuclear morphology and size. The endocytoscopic diagnoses using endocytoscopic classification was compared with the final histopathological diagnoses. RESULTS: Data of 93 patients with 98 lesions were included in the analysis. The preoperative diagnosis by endocytoscopy coincided with the final histopathological diagnosis in 85 (86.7%) of 98 SNADETs. In addition, the sensitivity and specificity for VCL 4/5 were 87.7% and 85.4%, respectively. In contrast, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of preoperative diagnosis by biopsy were 64.3%, 50.9%, and 82.9%, respectively. Preoperative diagnosis by endocytoscopy showed significantly superior accuracy and sensitivity as compared with preoperative biopsy diagnosis (P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This new classification (endocytoscopic classification) allows prediction of the tumor histopathology in real time, during endocytoscopy without biopsy, and is expected to be of help in determining the appropriate therapeutic strategies for individual cases of SNADETs. (Clinical trial registration number: UMIN000038643.).

Endoscopic and histological features of Helicobacter pylori-negative differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma arising in the antrum.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: With the increasing prevalence of persons without Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection, cases of HP-negative gastric cancer are increasing. Although rare, cases of differentiated adenocarcinoma of the antrum have been reported in HP-negative patients. We collected cases with such lesions and investigated their endoscopic and histological features. METHODS: Of 1965 consecutive patients with early gastric cancer who underwent endoscopic resection between January 2009 and December 2017, we extracted 9 cases of HP-negative differentiated adenocarcinoma located in the antrum (HPN-DAA). The clinical data, endoscopic findings, and histopathological findings were reviewed. RESULTS: Of the nine patients with HPN-DAA, seven were male, and the median age was 53.8 years. The tumor arose from the pyloric gland mucosa in all cases. According to the endoscopic findings, the lesions were flat-elevated or depressed, mimicking varioliform gastritis. Magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging showed the absence of a clear demarcation line or an irregular microvessel/surface pattern. As for the histopathological findings, eight of the nine lesions were diagnosed as high-grade dysplasia/intraepithelial neoplasia, while the remaining case was diagnosed as tubular adenocarcinoma with submucosal infiltration. The findings of immunohistochemistry confirmed that three cases were of the intestinal mucin phenotype and six were of the mixed gastric and intestinal mucin phenotype. CONCLUSION: HPN-DAA is a very rarely occurring cancer that had never been recognized earlier. They belong to the new category of HP-negative cancers, and there seems to be a certain number of such cases.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection for colorectal neoplasms in proximity or extending to a diverticulum.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: At specialized facilities, endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has currently been performed even for difficult cases such as tumors extending to a diverticulum that previously required surgery. This study aims to classify the type of lesion according to the degree of infiltration to a diverticulum and assessed the safety and efficacy of ESD for each type of lesion. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed ESD for lesions at NTT Medical Center Tokyo between January 2014 and April 2019. Lesions were classified as follows: Type 1: lesions in contact with or within 3 mm of the edge of a diverticulum; Type 2: lesions that partially infiltrated into a diverticulum; and Type 3: lesions that infiltrated into and completely covered the diverticulum. Furthermore, ESD strategies were divided into A and B, which indicates that a lesion was resected separately from the diverticulum and along the entire diverticulum, respectively. The clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcomes were analyzed according to the strategy. RESULTS: A total of 47 lesions satisfied inclusion criteria (19 Type 1, 12 Type 2, and 16 Type 3 lesions). 19 Type 1 and 8 Type 2 lesions were resected using Strategy A, while 4 Type 2 and 16 Type 3 lesions were resected using Strategy B. En bloc resection was achieved in all cases. In Strategy A, the R0 resection rate was 96.3% and the curative resection rate was 88.9%. On the contrary, in Strategy B, the R0 resection rate was 95.0% and the curative resection rate was 90.0%. In Strategy B, one of the patients developed post-operative bleeding that required endoscopic hemostasis; another patient developed delayed perforation that required emergency surgery. CONCLUSIONS: ESD for colorectal neoplasms in proximity or extending to a diverticulum is challenging, but this procedure can be a safe and effective therapeutic option.