Diagnosis of submucosal tumor of the upper GI tract by endoscopic resection

Submucosal tumors are frequent findings during endoscopy, although definitive diagnosis based on histologic confirmation presents some difficulties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic resection based on endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) findings to reach a definitive diagnosis of submucosal tumor.

Fifty-four submucosal tumors of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract were included in this study. EUS was performed to determine the layer of origin and location of the lesion and to rule out malignancy. En bloc resection was attempted for lesions originating in the muscularis mucosa or submucosa. For tumors originating in the muscularis propria, we performed partial resection limited to the covering mucosa to expose the lesion and obtained a sample with standard biopsy forceps.

Sufficient samples were obtained in all 54 cases. There was no perforation. Bleeding occurred in only 5 cases (9%) and was easily managed with endoscopic hemostatic methods. EUS and pathologic findings coincided in 74.1% of cases (40 of 54). Benign lesions (leiomyoma, aberrant pancreas, and others) were predominant (52 of 54), although 2 small lesions were confirmed at pathologic study to be malignant (leiomyosarcoma and leiomyoblastoma).

Endoscopic resection based on EUS findings proved to be an effective and safe method to confirm the histologic diagnosis of submucosal tumor of the upper GI tract. Endoscopic resection should be considered a valuable choice for definitive management of benign submucosal tumors originating in the superficial layers.