[Diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal lipoma]

To summarize the experience of diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal lipoma.

The clinical data of 34 patients with gastrointestinal (GI) lipoma from 1993 to 2007 were analyzed retrospectively.

GI lipoma produced a variety of symptoms including gastrointestinal bleeding, abdominal pain, anemia, intussusception, and bowel obstruction. The diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS) for GI lipoma was 93.8%. Twelve GI lipomas were resected under endoscopy, the remainder at laparotomy, partial resection, gastrectomy or enterectomy being performed. Twenty-eight cases were followed up from 1 month to 168 months. No recurrence and metastasis were observed except one case dying of gastric liposarcoma.

EUS is an effective method for diagnosing GI lipomas. The treatment of GI lipomas is surgical resection, and endoscopic removal of GI lipomas is safe following the guidance of the present therapeutic strategy.