Underwater Endoscopic Mucosal Resections of Non-ampullary Small Duodenal Tumors

Abstract

Conventional endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) have been reported to be effective therapeutic options in sporadic non-ampullary duodenal tumors, but the rate of perforation is higher than that of other gastrointestinal lesions. Underwater EMR (UW EMR) has been reported to be a safe alternative to conventional EMR and ESD for superficial non-ampullary duodenal adenomas. We reviewed the medical chart and endoscopic report of patients who underwent endoscopic resection between August 2018 and February 2020. A total of 12 duodenal tumors were resected by UW EMR. The mean specimen and lesion sizes were 6.7 mm (2~16 mm) and 5.3 mm (2~10 mm), respectively. Of the 12 lesions, nine (75.0%) were located in the 2nd portion, and three (25.0%) were in the bulb. The mean procedural time was 7.8 minutes (3.2~18.7 minutes). Histologic results showed 10 dysplasia (nine low-grade, one high-grade) and two neuroendocrine tumors. UW EMR showed favorable efficacy and safety within small dysplastic lesions compared to previous studies’ results. Furthermore, it might be considered a treatment option with caution in patients with the duodenal subepithelial tumor within the third layer.