Use of strip biopsy for early duodenal cancer--a case report

A 67-year-old man was referred for investigation of an abdominal mass. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a polypoid lesion with a central depression in the duodenum. CT scan demonstrated a cystic lesion anterior to the pancreas. Examination of a biopsy specimen of the duodenal lesion suggested it was a carcinoma. Strip biopsy was therefore performed, and histological examination revealed a tubular adenocarcinoma with invasion limited to the mucosa, indicating that the lesion was completely resected. Subsequent 24-month follow-up did not indicate recurrence of the cancer. Strip biopsy thus appears to be a safe and efficient procedure for the management of early duodenal cancer.