Introduction
Patients with long-standing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased risk
of developing colorectal dysplasia and cancer [1]
[2]
[3]. Historically, patients with IBD and dysplasia have been managed primarily with
colectomy. The optimal management of dysplasia in patients with IBD is evolving. According
to the 2015 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) guidelines, endoscopically
visible lesions with distinct borders and without features of submucosal invasion
should be considered for endoscopic resection. In addition, en bloc resection is preferred
because it allows for histologic evaluation of completeness of resection [4]. However, endoscopic resection of these lesions is often not feasible due to impaired
submucosal lifting related to significant mucosal and submucosal fibrosis from chronic
inflammation.
Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) enables en bloc and potentially curative resection
of superficial neoplastic lesions regardless of size, facilitates precise histological
evaluation of the resected specimen, and minimizes the risk of local recurrence [5]
[6]. ESD may overcome limitations of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) in achieving
en bloc resection of larger size lesions and those with submucosal fibrosis, which
is more frequently encountered in patients with IBD.
Although the procedure is technically difficult because of high prevalence of submucosal
fibrosis, several recent small studies from Asia and Europe, have indicated that ESD
is a safe and effective treatment for dysplastic lesions in the setting of IBD [7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]. ESD is a potential alternative treatment option when EMR is not feasible or does
not enable en bloc removal of larger lesions.
In North America, ESD of colorectal neoplasms is gaining traction, but studies specifically
addressing the role of ESD for management of dysplastic lesions in IBD are lacking.
The aim of this multicenter study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of ESD in
management of dysplastic colorectal lesions in patients with IBD across various centers
in the United States.
Patients and methods
Study population
This was a retrospective multicenter cohort study of all consecutive patients with
IBD who were referred for ESD of colorectal dysplastic lesions at nine centers across
the United States from January 2015 to October 2019. The study was approved by each
center’s Institutional Review Board.
The study included patients with dysplastic lesions in a known segment of colitis
deemed suitable for endoscopic resection if distinct margins of the lesion were identified
without endoscopic features suggestive of submucosal invasion, such as depressions,
failure to lift with attempted submucosal injection, or presence of overlying ulceration
[4]. We excluded endoscopically invisible dysplastic lesions and those with indistinct
borders, as well as lesions occurring within moderate-to-severe active ulcerative
colitis.
Relevant clinical data were extracted, including patient demographics, lesion characteristics,
prior interventions, procedural details, procedure-related adverse events (AEs) and
treatment outcomes, local recurrence, metachronous lesions, and mortality at the last
follow-up through October 2020, when available.
ESD procedure
The ESD procedures were performed under moderate sedation, deep sedation or general
anesthesia with endotracheal intubation, at the discretion of the endoscopist and
anesthesiologist. Carbon dioxide was routinely used for insufflation in all cases.
A transparent distal attachment cap was applied at the tip of the endoscope. ESD was
performed as previously described ([Fig. 1]) [7]
[8]. In brief, the procedures were performed using either an adult or pediatric colonoscope,
or an upper endoscope for lesions within reach. The targeted lesion was carefully
examined under high-definition white light imaging, in addition to near-focus mode,
electronic chromoendoscopy and/or dye-based chromoendoscopy. Marking with coagulation
dots 5 mm outside the lesion boundary was performed with the tip of an ESD knife using
a soft coagulation setting. The mucosa was incised along the periphery of the marker
dots using the ESD knife following submucosal fluid injection with a solution containing
methylene blue or indigo carmine admixed with normal saline or a viscous agent, with
or without dilute epinephrine. The submucosal space was expanded further by injection
of the solution and the lesion dissected using the ESD knife until en bloc resection
was achieved. The type of ESD knife (or knives) selected was at the discretion of
the endoscopist.
Fig. 1 Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) of a dysplastic lesion in a 73-year-old patient
with ulcerative colitis. The 45 mm × 30-mm, slightly elevated lesion (Paris 0-IIa)
in the rectum is seen with granular background mucosa in a standard white light, on b narrow-band imaging, and c in near-focus mode (C). d An image taken during ESD shows severe fibrosis. e An image of the resected area after ESD was performed. f The resected specimen, with at least 5 mm of normal-appearing mucosa around the suspected
neoplastic lesion.
The degree of submucosal fibrosis at the time of ESD was classified as F0 (no fibrosis),
F1 (mild fibrosis), or F2 (severe fibrosis), as previously described [13]. When performed, endoscopic closure of the resection bed using clips and/or endoscopic
suturing was performed at the discretion of the endoscopist.
Specimens were stretched and pinned on foam and immediately fixed in formalin solution.
The resected specimens were sectioned serially at 2-mm intervals and embedded for
histological examination. Histopathological examination was performed using hematoxylin
and eosin staining. Dysplasia was defined according to Vienna criteria [14].
Surveillance colonoscopy typically was performed 3 to 6 months after ESD. The interval
to subsequent follow-up endoscopies was at the discretion of the endoscopist.
Outcome measures
Primary outcome measures were the rates of en bloc resection (defined as excision
of the targeted lesion in a single specimen) and complete (R0) resection (defined
as resection with lateral and deep margins free of neoplasia on histopathology). Secondary
outcome measures were the rates of AEs, post-ESD surgery, lesion recurrence, and metachronous
lesions.
Local recurrence was defined as presence of endoscopic and/or histological evidence
of neoplastic tissue at the resection site during follow-up colonoscopy. A metachronous
lesion was defined as a new colorectal neoplasm in an area other than the site of
the primary lesion diagnosed at least 6 months after the ESD procedure.
Severe intraprocedural bleeding was defined as overt bleeding resulting in a drop
in hemoglobin > 2 g/dL and/or need for blood transfusion. Delayed bleeding was defined
as clinical evidence of bleeding following ESD completion to 14 days after the procedure
with a drop in hemoglobin > 2 g/dL and/or requiring blood transfusion and/or endoscopic
treatment or other intervention. Procedure time was defined as the time from incision
with the needle-knife until complete removal of the lesion.
Statistical analysis
Frequencies and percentages were calculated for categorical variables. Means and standard
deviations, as well as medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs) were calculated for
continuous variables. Comparative analyses using Fisher’s exact test for categorical
variables and the t test for continuous variables were performed, with P < 0.05 considered significant. All descriptive analyses were performed with the SPSS
software v22 (IBM, SPSS Statistics, Armonk, New York, United States).
Results
Patients, lesions and procedural characteristics
A total of 45 dysplastic lesions in 41 patients were included ([Table 1]). The mean age was 60.4 years (range, 38 to 81 years) and 61 % of patients were
men. Most patients were designated as American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)
class II (56 %), followed by ASA class III in 27 %. The median duration of colitis
was 25 years (range, 1 to 50 years). None of the patients had concomitant stricturing
disease or primary sclerosing cholangitis. All procedures were performed by experienced
endoscopists who had previous experience with over 80 to 200 ESD procedures.
Table 1
Patient (n = 41) and lesion (n = 45) characteristics.
|
Gender (male, n, %)
|
25/41 (61 %)
|
|
Age (years, mean, SD)
|
60.4 (± 11)
|
|
Disease duration (years), median (range)
|
25 (1–50)
|
|
Type of IBD, n (%)
|
|
|
33 (80 %)
|
|
|
8 (20 %)
|
|
ASA class, n (%)
|
|
|
5/41 (12 %)
|
|
|
23/41 (56 %)
|
|
|
11/41 (27 %)
|
|
|
2/41 (5 %)
|
|
Primary sclerosing cholangitis, n (%)
|
0
|
|
Stricturing disease, n (%)
|
0
|
|
Preceding failed endoscopic treatment, n (%)
|
9 (20 %)
|
|
Location of tumor, n (%)
|
|
|
23 (51.1 %)
|
|
|
10 (22.2 %)
|
|
|
5 (11.1 %)
|
|
|
4 (8.8 %)
|
|
|
3 (6.6 %)
|
|
Tumor size (mm, median, IQR)
|
30 (23–42)
|
|
Paris classification, n (%)
|
|
|
2 (4 %)
|
|
|
24 (53 %)
|
|
|
17 (38 %)
|
|
|
1 (2 %)
|
|
|
1 (2 %)
|
|
Pre-ESD diagnosis based on biopsy, n (%)
|
|
|
27 (62.7 %)
|
|
|
9 (20.9 %)
|
|
|
5 (11.6 %)
|
|
|
2 (4.7 %)
|
|
|
2
|
|
Presence of ulcer at the lesion, n (%)
|
0
|
|
Degree of submucosal fibrosis, n (%)
|
|
|
12 (26.7 %)
|
|
|
15 (33.3 %)
|
|
|
18 (40.0 %)
|
|
Procedure time (min, median, IQR)
|
93 (IQR 66–123)
|
|
Procedure setting, n (%)
|
|
|
22/45 (49 %)
|
|
|
18/45 (40 %)
|
|
|
5/45 (11 %)
|
SD, standard deviation; IBD, inflammatory bowel disease; ASA, American Society of
Anesthesiologists; ESD, endoscopic submucosal dissection; IQR, interquartile range.
Background inflammation per Mayo Clinic Endoscopic Subscore at the lesion site was
graded as none in 22 (54 %), mild in 15 (37 %), and moderate in four patients (11 %).
For patients in whom lesion biopsies (n = 43) were taken before ESD, histopathological
diagnoses based on biopsy were low-grade dysplasia (LGD) or adenoma in 27 lesions
(62.7 %), high-grade dysplasia (HGD) in nine (20.9 %), sessile serrated polyps/adenomas
in five (11 %), and intramucosal cancer in two (4.4 %). Two of the 45 initial lesions
did not undergo biopsy prior to ESD. EMR had been attempted previously on nine lesions
(20 %).
Lesions were macroscopically non-polypoid (Paris 0-II) in 94%, with a median size
of 30 mm (IQR 23 to 42 mm). Twenty-two lesions (48.9 %) were located in the colon
and 23 (51.1 %) in the rectum. Submucosal fibrosis was observed in most lesions (n = 33,
73.3 %). Of these 45 lesions, 15 (33.3 %) and 18 (40.0%) were categorized as mild
(F1) and severe (F2), respectively.
For most lesions (n = 28, 62.2 %), ESD was performed under monitored anesthesia care,
followed by moderate sedation (n = 10; 22.2 %) and general anesthesia with endotracheal
intubation (n = 7; 15.6 %). The DualKnife or DualKnife Jet (Olympus America, Center
Valley, Pennsylvania, United States) was the most commonly used electrosurgical knife
(n = 37; 82.2 %), followed by the HybridKnife (ERBE USA, Marietta, Georgia, United
States) (n = 7; 15.6 %) and FlushKnife (Fujifilm, Stamford, Connecticut, United States)
(1; 2.2 %). A combination of ESD knives was used in 15 lesions (33.3 %).
The median procedure time was 93 minutes (IQR 66 to 123 minutes). Almost half of the
ESD procedures (n = 22, 49 %) were performed in an outpatient setting, with a median
post-procedure hospital stay of 1 day (range 1 to 2 days).
Resection outcomes and adverse events
The en bloc and R0 resection rates were 43 of 45 (95.6 %) and 34 of 45 (75.5 %), respectively
([Table 2]). En bloc resection was not feasible in two lesions with severe submucosal fibrosis.
One of these two lesions had undergone prior EMR before ESD. Both lesions were resected
completely in piecemeal fashion. R1 resection (n = 11), excluding two lesions resected
in piecemeal fashion, was due to positive lateral resection margins on the resected
specimens.
Table 2
Outcomes of colorectal ESD in IBD.
|
En bloc resection, n (%)
|
43 (95.5 %)
|
|
R0 resection, n (%)
|
34 (75.5 %)
|
|
Histology, n (%)
|
|
|
4 (8.9 %)
|
|
|
28 (62.2 %)
|
|
|
9 (20.0 %)
|
|
|
1 (2.2 %)
|
|
|
3 (6.7 %)[1]
|
|
Adverse events; n (%)
|
|
|
1 (2.4 %)
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
4 (9.8 %)
|
|
Local recurrence on follow-up endoscopy; n (%)
|
1/38 (2.6 %)
|
ESD, endoscopic submucosal dissection; IBD, inflammatory bowel disease; LGD, low-grade
dysplasia; HGD, high-grade dysplasia.
1 Superficial invasive cancer; all lesions were curatively resected by ESD.
Intraprocedural perforation occurred in one patient (2.4 %), which was treated successfully
with clip placement. Delayed bleeding occurred in four patients (9.8 %): two were
managed conservatively and two underwent successful endoscopic hemostasis. No severe
intraprocedural bleeding or delayed perforation occurred.
The final histopathological diagnoses of the ESD specimens were LGD/adenoma in 28
(62.2 %), HGD in nine (20.0 %), serrated adenomas/polyps in four (8.9 %), intramucosal
cancer in one (2.2 %), and superficially invasive cancer in three lesions (6.7 %).
Curative resection was achieved in all three cases of superficially invasive adenocarcinoma.
Follow-up and recurrences
Follow-up data were available for 38 resected lesions in 35 patients at a median of
18 months (IQR: 13 to 37 months). During the follow-up period, all patients were alive.
One local recurrent (1/38; 2.6 %) was identified on follow-up colonoscopy 4 months
later at the ESD site. This patient had initial R0 resection for HGD. Repeat biopsies
at the ESD site on surveillance colonoscopy confirmed HGD, which was completely resected
with additional ESD.
Metachronous lesions were identified in 11 of 35 patients (31.4 %) during follow-up
endoscopy. Seven metachronous lesions were LGD and four were HGD at other locations
in the colon. Eight lesions were treated successfully with endoscopic resection: four
lesions were treated with ESD, three with EMR, and one 2-mm polyp with cold biopsy
forceps. Two patients with metachronous lesions underwent surgery.
Synchronous neoplasia was found in one patient. This patient was referred for ESD
of a serrated sessile lesion with LGD in the sigmoid colon that had undergone prior
EMR. At the time of index ESD, a superficial ulceration in the right colon was found
(prior biopsies in this area had not shown dysplasia), and this was thought to be
an inflammatory or cytomegalovirus-related ulcer. However, at the time of the sigmoid
colon ESD, biopsy of the ulcer showed at least HGD, and the patient was referred for
surgery. Repeat biopsy of the right colon lesion during a subsequent colonoscopy requested
by the surgical team confirmed invasive cancer and no residual dysplasia at the ESD
scar. Because the patient was morbidly obese, total proctocolectomy with ileostomy
was recommended, but the patient declined the procedure. A total abdominal colectomy
with ileorectal anastomosis was performed and pathology showed T3N1 adenocarcinoma.
Comparison of Pre-ESD histologic diagnosis based on biopsy with histologic diagnosis
of ESD specimens
The pre-ESD diagnoses and post-ESD histologic diagnoses of the resected specimens
are shown in [Table 3]. Overall, pre-ESD and post-ESD histologic diagnoses matched in 35 of 43 lesions
(81.3 %). Among the 27 lesions with a pre-ESD biopsy diagnosis of LGD/adenoma, the
diagnosis was upstaged in two lesions (7.4 %): one lesion was diagnosed as HGD and
one was invasive cancer. Of the 11 lesions with HGD or intramucosal cancer on pre-ESD
biopsy, two (18.1 %) were diagnosed as having invasive cancer in the ESD specimens.
Table 3
Comparison of pre-ESD diagnoses based on the biopsy and histologic diagnoses of the
resected specimens (n = 43).
|
Histology from ESD resected specimen
|
|
LGD/ adenoma
|
Sessile serrated adenoma/polyp
|
HGD or intramucosal cancer
|
Invasive cancer
|
|
Pre-ESD diagnoses based on biopsy
|
|
|
25
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
|
|
1
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
1
|
0
|
8
|
2
|
ESD, endoscopic submucosal dissection; LGD, low-grade dysplasia; HGD, high-grade dysplasia.
Discussion
The ASGE practice guidelines recommend en bloc resection of raised, endoscopically
visible, dysplastic lesions with distinct borders in regions of chronic active colitis
that might be prone to fibrosis by EMR or ESD [4]. However, to date, the outcomes data on colorectal ESD for the management of IBD-associated
dysplastic lesions are scarce and limited to studies from Asia and Europe [7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]. In this US multicenter study on clinical outcomes of ESD in IBD, we found that
ESD was associated with high en bloc (95.6 %) and R0 resection rates (75.5 %), with
a median lesion size of 30 mm. The rate of ESD-related perforation was low (2.4 %)
and the AE was managed endoscopically. No emergent surgery was performed for ESD-related
AEs. Taking the data together, ESD appears to be a feasible, safe, and effective treatment
for IBD-associated dysplastic lesions.
In patients with IBD, long-standing mucosal inflammatory activity can cause significant
mucosal and submucosal fibrosis, which may render lesions unresectable using conventional
EMR techniques. Furthermore, colorectal EMR has been associated with low en bloc resection
rates (27 % to 63 %), and significantly high local recurrence rates (14 % to 50 %)
in patients with IBD [15]
[16]
[17]. In several cases involving dysplasia with IBD, the margins were partially indistinct,
which might have led to positive lateral margins. In many instances, ESD permits dissection
of even severe fibrotic tissue using an electrosurgical knife, allowing adequate vertical
dissection of the submucosal plane and potentially curative resection of these fibrotic
lesions. Submucosal fibrosis (F1 and F2 submucosal fibrosis) was reported in 90 %
and 97 % of cases by Iacopini et al [7] and Suzuki et al [11], respectively. In our study, submucosal fibrosis (F1 and F2) was noted in most lesions
(73 %). There were also no significant differences in frequency of submucosal fibrosis
between the studies by Iacopini et al [7] and Suzuki et al [11] (P = 0.79 and 0.49, respectively) and our study.
Smith et al. [18] evaluated the efficacy of a hybrid technique using a combination of circumferential
mucosal incision and division of fibrotic tissue, followed by snare resection of colorectal
lesions of variable size (8 to 62 mm) in patients with IBD, in whom conventional EMR
was unsuccessful due to submucosal fibrosis. The rates of en bloc resection, perforation,
and local recurrence were 73 %, 3 %, and 7 %, respectively [18]. Although the hybrid technique appears technically easier and has a safety profile
similar to standard ESD, its efficacy, in terms of en bloc resection and local recurrence
rates appears, inferior to that of standard ESD. These findings are also line with
the data from patients without IBD [19].
A meta-analysis of 97 studies by Fuccio et al evaluated the efficacy of ESD for treatment
of colorectal lesions and demonstrated an en bloc resection rate of 91 %, a R0 resection
rate of 82.9 %, a perforation rate of 5.2 %, need for surgery for post-ESD AEs of
1 %, and a local recurrence rate of 2.0 % [19]. A large, multicenter, prospective study from North America reported similar clinical
outcomes for colorectal ESD, with an en bloc resection rate of 87 %, a R0 resection
rate of 84 %, and a perforation rate of 3.7 % [20]. Our study results compare favorably to the findings from these studies, despite
a higher technical difficulty due to the high prevalence of submucosal fibrosis (73 %)
and failed prior EMR (20 %) in our patient population.
The high en bloc resection rate in our study is comparable to previous Asian and European
reports of colorectal ESD for dysplastic lesions in IBD, with en bloc resection rates
of 80 % to 100 % and R0 resection rates of 69 % to 96 % [7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]. However, the widespread adoption of ESD for management of neoplastic lesions in
IBD has partly been limited by the concern for potential serious AEs due to technical
difficulty. The rates of perforation (2.2 %) and delayed bleeding (8.8 %) in our study
are comparable to those for perforation (0 % to 5.6 %) and bleeding (0 % to 13 %)
rates reported in studies from Europe and Japan [7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]. None of our patients required surgery due to ESD-related AEs.
In patients who underwent follow-up at a median time interval of 18 months, the local
recurrence rate was low at 2.6 % and metachronous lesions were identified in almost
one-third of patients in our cohort. Studies from Japan and Europe have reported local
recurrence rates of 0 % to 3 % [7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]. Metachronous lesions occurred in 0 % to 9 % [7]
[8]
[9]
[11], except in one Japanese study with follow-up data of 14 years, in which metachronous
lesions occurred in five of seven patients after ESD [10]. Thus, careful meticulous endoscopic surveillance in IBD is essential to monitor
for local recurrence and metachronous lesions after ESD. Differences in rates of metachronous
lesions in this study and previous studies could be due to slight variation in patient
selection and the experience of endoscopists in adequately diagnosing dysplasia in
patients w2ith IBD during index colonoscopy. Given that endoscopists who performed
the ESDs in this study were experienced in lesion identification and lesion resection,
we believe that the rate of missed lesions should be low.
ESD can also serve as an important staging method by providing more accurate histopathologic
diagnosis than standard biopsies or EMR. Discrepancies in histologic diagnosis between
biopsy samples and resected specimens have been reported for colorectal lesions, likely
due to the heterogeneity of these lesions [8]. One study showed that biopsy sampling confirmed a final histologic diagnosis of
carcinoma with a low sensitivity of 72.2 % and accuracy of only 78 % in IBD [8]. Furthermore, unlike patients without IBD, endoscopic diagnosis of HGD or carcinoma
in the colons of patients with IBD using chromoendoscopy and magnifying narrow-band
imaging has lower accuracy [8]
[21]. In our study, 18 % of lesions diagnosed as HGD or intramucosal cancer on pre-ESD
biopsy were upstaged to invasive cancer in the resected specimens, which were curatively
resected by ESD. Similarly, 7.4 % of lesions initially diagnosed as LGD/adenoma on
biopsy were found to have HGD or invasive cancer on the post-ESD specimens. In agreement
with the aforementioned studies, our study suggests that histological discrepancies
between endoscopic biopsies and ESD specimens are common. Thus, ESD can serve as both
a histologic staging procedure and a definitive treatment. In addition, for biopsy-proven
lesions with HGD, it is preferable to achieve en bloc resection via ESD rather than
piecemeal EMR, given the high probability of covert submucosal invasive cancer.
Our study reports on the first US multicenter experience regarding ESD for the treatment
of colorectal neoplastic lesions in patients with IBD with medium-term follow-up. Data
are derived from multiple centers with expertise in advanced resection techniques,
which increase the generalizability of these results in a referral setting. We suggest
that ESD in the setting of IBD should be performed by endoscopists with extensive
experience in colorectal ESD, given that the procedure can be technically difficult
due to the high prevalence of submucosal fibrosis associated with these lesions. In
addition, it is important to emphasize that endoscopists who perform colorectal ESD
in patients with IBD be proficient in endoscopic recognition and delineation of dysplastic
lesions to ensure complete resection. In patients without IBD, the borders of colorectal
polyps are usually obvious and mucosal markings outside the periphery of the lesions
are not typically required [22]. In patients with IBD, the lesion margins are sometimes less clear and placement
of coagulation dots 5 mm outside the lesion margins is recommended to facilitate lesion
identification and complete resection with negative lateral margins [7]. Finally, tattoos should be placed to facilitate localization of the resection sites
during colonoscopic surveillance, and in case subsequent surgery is required.
The study limitations include the retrospective design and lack of long-term follow-up
data. Furthermore, data from this study were derived from tertiary centers with experience
in ESD and the results may not be applicable to the community setting. Despite the
involvement of multiple centers across the United States, the cohort of patients was
relatively small. These limitations notwithstanding, our findings add to the growing
body of literature showing the efficacy and safety of ESD for IBD-associated dysplastic
lesions and its potential as an alternative to colectomy in select cases.
Conclusions
In conclusion, this study represents the first US multicenter report on colorectal
ESD for neoplastic lesions in the setting of IBD. For endoscopically visible lesions,
ESD appears to be safe and effective for en bloc removal of these lesions, regardless
of size and the presence of submucosal fibrosis. Prospective studies that define the
long-term outcomes and that compare ESD to EMR for resection of IBD-associated dysplastic
lesions are awaited.