Endoscopic submucosal dissection with a combination of small-caliber-tip transparent hood and flex knife is a safe and effective treatment for superficial esophageal neoplasias.

Background: Superficial esophageal neoplasias resected in piecemeal manner with endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) sometimes recur locally, and additional treatments need to be developed. Efficacy and safety of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for esophageal neoplasias are not sufficiently demonstrated, so we conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ESD for superficial esophageal neoplasias.

Methods: Thirty-seven superficial esophageal neoplasias consisted of 34 squamous cell neoplasias and 3 columnar neoplasias in 35 patients were treated with ESD from May 2006 to July 2008. Patients were regularly followed up with endoscopy every 6 months, and with echoendoscope and computed tomography every year. Therapeutic efficacy, complications, and follow-up results were evaluated.

Results: The mean size of the resected neoplasias and that of the resected specimens were 22 mm (range 10-83 mm) and 41 mm (range 18-90 mm), respectively. The mean duration of the ESD procedures was 117 min (range 40-235 min). The overall rates of en bloc resection and of free margin resection were 100% (37/37) and 95% (35/37), respectively. The mean follow-up period of 19 months (range 7-32 months) revealed no local or distant recurrence. There were no complications such as bleeding or perforation in any case. In all nine cases, the strictures were successfully managed with prophylactic endoscopic balloon dilation.

Conclusions: ESD with a combination of small-caliber-tip transparent hood and flex knife is a safe endoscopic treatment for superficial esophageal neoplasias and enables large en bloc resection.