Background: Treatment with endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for gastric category 3 lesion (low grade dysplasia, LGD) diagnosed by endoscopic forceps biopsy (EFB) is controversial.
Aims: The purpose of the present study was to validate the use of ESD for gastric LGD diagnosed by EFB and to evaluate predictable factors for pathologic upgrade diagnosis to category 4 (high grade dysplasia, HGD) or 5 (early gastric cancer, EGC) lesions.
Methods: Between November 2008 and October 2011, a retrospective analysis of a prospective database was conducted at a single tertiary referral center. A total of 218 ESD procedures were carried out for gastric LGD lesions identified by EFB. The under-diagnosis rate by EFB and the predictable factors for upgrade diagnosis to category 4 or 5 lesions were analyzed.
Results: Pathologic discrepancy between EFB and surgical resection was 20.1 % (44/218). Thirty eight lesions (17.4 %) were diagnosed HGD or EGC by ESD. Gastric HGD lesions were 14 cases (6.4 %) and EGC lesions were 24 cases (23 mucosal and 1 submucosal cancer) (11.0 %). Multivariate analysis revealed that lesion diameter more than 1 cm (OR 3.496 [95 % CI 1.375-8.849]), surface redness (OR 6.493 [95 % CI 2.557-16.666]) and nodular surface (OR 2.762 [95 % CI 1.237-6.172]) were significant risk factors.
Conclusions: Endoscopic resection can be recommended if a LGD lesion has risk factors such as a size of 1 cm or greater, surface redness or surface nodulariy. For lesions without the risk factors, follow-up endoscopy may be recommended.