Abstract

Background/Aims
Because screening for colonic cancer includes colonoscopy, more of carcinoid tumors may be diagnosed at an earlier stage. Metastatic disease is rare in lesions smaller than 1cm and common in lesions larger than 2cm. Small lesions are managed with local excision or endoscopic resection. Endoscopic resection, a major advance in endoscopy, provides an endoscopic option for management of carcinoid tumor of the GI tract. We study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of high-frequency probe EUS-assisted endoscopic resection in the management of carcinoid tumor of the GI tract, to evaluate of clinical usefulness of cap aspiration method in comparison with snare polypectomy. Methods: For 31 patients, snare polypectomy and cap aspiration lumpectomy were performed between February 2001 and September 2004 after evaluating by endosonography. Results: EUS examination confirmed that all of the rectal carcinoid tumor were hypoechic mass confined to the second or third layer of the rectum. The rate of complete removal of carcinoid tumors with aspiration lumpectomy was significantly higher than with snare polypectomy (p<0.05). Conclusions: EUS can provide precise information about size, layer of origin, and echogenicity of the carcinoid tumor. It is useful in the diagnosis of carcinoid of the rectum and can have an important role in the choice of therapy. Endoscopic resection with cap is a useful and safe method for resection of small carcinoid tumor of the rectum according to endoscopic shape and EUS findings. (Intestinal Research 2004;2:89-94)

• Keywords: Carcinoid tumor, EUS, Endoscopic treatment