Usefulness of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) for selecting carcinoid tumors as candidates to endoscopic resection.

INTRODUCTION Carcinoid tumors (CTs) represent the most common type of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Digestive CTs in the gastroduodenal and colorectal tracts may be assessed using endoscopy and echoendoscopy or endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) with the goal of attempting local resection with curative intent without having recourse to surgery. OBJECTIVE Endpoints in this study included:--Assessing the usefulness of EUS for selecting CTs as candidates to endoscopic excision. --Assessing the effectiveness of local resection (complete carcinoid resection) and the safety (complications) of the technique involved. PATIENTS AND METHODS OUr series included 18 patients (12 males and 6 females) with 23 tumors. Sixteen patients (10 males and 6 females) were selected, with age ranging from 40 to 81 years (mean: 57 years), biopsied, endoscopically treated digestive carcinoid tumors, and a previous negative extension study. Twenty-one 2-to-20-mm (mean size 8 mm) tumors were resected in 23 procedures. After endoscopy plus biopsy and echoendoscopy (EUS), excision was carried out with conventional polypectomy snare mucosectomy and submucosal injection with saline and/or adrenaline in most cases (15), and mucosectomy technique following lesion ligation with elastic bands for six cases. Two cases underwent transanal endoscopic surgery (TEM), one of them following non-curative polypectomy. A total of 23 local procedures were performed with the key goal of assessing efficacy (complete resection: CR) and safety (complications). RESULTS There were no severe complications except for the last gastric mucosectomy for a 6-mm carcinoid, where a miniperforation occurred that was solved by using 3 clips (1/23: 4.3%).EUS sensitivity was 94%. Complete resection was 90.5% (19/21). CONCLUSIONS The endoscopic mucosal resection of selected carcinoid tumors is a safe, effective technique. EUS is the technique of choice to select patients eligible for endoscopic resection (carcinoids smaller than 20 mm in superficial layers, with an unscathed muscularis propria and negative extension study).