Abstract
Background
Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has become increasingly important over the last few years as the treatment of choice for early gastrointestinal malignancies. Esophageal adenocarcinoma is among the most rapidly rising malignancies associated with a poor 5-year survival rate. ESD is emerging as a novel minimally invasive treatment for superficial esophageal neoplasms. However, with increasing circumference of dissection, the rate of stricture increases with over 90% stricture rate reported with complete circumferential ESD (cESD). Currently, for superficial Barrett’s neoplasms the dysplastic lesion is resected and subsequent eradication of remaining Barrett’s is with radiofrequency ablation over multiple sessions.
Aims
To report on a case of cESD for intramucosal carcinoma and Barrett’s eradication with one procedure with the application of prophylactic dual steroid treatment (DST) for prevention of stricture.
Methods
We present the case of a 62-year-old female with C1M5 Barrett’s esophagus with pathology confirming high grade dysplasia with a focus suspicious for intramucosal adenocarcinoma. Staging CT excluded metastatic disease. Repeat endoscopy with magnification revealed multiple areas with highly irregular vascular and surface patterns with premature loss of acetowhitening reaction consistent with multifocal at least high-grade dysplasia. Subsequently, the entire segment of Barrett’s was removed via cESD. Histopathologic analysis of the resected tissue confirmed multifocal high grade disease with margins negative for dysplasia or intestinal metaplasia. The patient was started on DST with oral prednisone and topical (swallowed) budesonide along with sucralfate as prophylactic measures to prevent luminal stricturing.
Results
During the re-epithelization period the patient required 2 prophylactic dilations. Five months post-ESD, full clinical, endoscopic and histopathologic healing had been observed. There was complete squamous re-epithelization with normal squamous mucosa without stricture. The patient remains on a yearly endoscopic surveillance protocol.
Conclusions
cESD represents a novel therapeutic strategy for the definitive histologic and endoscopic eradication of superficial esophageal neoplasms along with remaining Barrett’s. In this patient, there were no complications and significant stricturing was prevented with DST. Multiple prior studies have assessed single steroid therapy as a therapeutic option for strictures. In this report, DST represents a novel regime in preventing severe strictures post cESD. Longer term follow-up and further reports are needed to confirm these findings.
Funding Agencies
None
Superficial Esophageal Neoplasms Overlying Leiomyomas Removed by Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection: Case Reports and Review of the Literature