Background: Biopsy specimens obtained from esophageal lesions detected in endoscopic screening with iodine staining have often been diagnosed as high-grade intraepithelial squamous neoplasia (WHO 2000). However, a management strategy for such lesions has not been established. The purpose of this study was to perform EMR for such lesions and to determine the actual tumor stage in patients with complete resection and the outcomes after EMR.
Patients: During the study period, 51 patients were found to have esophageal lesions diagnosed as high-grade intraepithelial squamous neoplasia by using endoscopic iodine staining in biopsy specimens. All of the patients underwent EMR, and resected specimens were reviewed microscopically.
Results: Histologic examination of totally resected specimens revealed that 12 (23.5%) of the 51 patients had tumor invasion of the lamina propria mucosae and that 4 (7.8%) had tumor invasion of the muscularis mucosae. The remaining 35 patients (68.6%) were confirmed to have high-grade intraepithelial squamous neoplasia. The invasive focus in all of the 16 lesions of invasive squamous-cell carcinoma was surrounded by high-grade intraepithelial squamous neoplasia. After a median of 23 months of follow-up, there were two recurrences, and those patients required second EMR.
Conclusions: Histologic results suggested that high-grade intraepithelial squamous neoplasia of the esophagus has characteristics of carcinoma in the preinvasive stage. EMR should be performed for esophageal lesions diagnosed by endoscopic biopsy as high-grade intraepithelial squamous neoplasia, not only because of its probable malignant potential but also because more than 30% of such lesions are actually invasive carcinoma.