Gastric Polypectomy

Summary

In a survey of 23 endoscopy centres in the Federal Republic of Germany 6,182 cases are reported in which gastric polypectomies were performed. 1,177 patients were observed over a period of up to 7 years. Primary benign gastric polyps recurred in 6.1 % most of them within 1 year after polypectomy, and genuinely recurrent polyps usually had a histological pattern identical to that of the ectomized polyps. In 32.5 % new polyps occurred at different locations in the stomach, and most of them exhibited the same histological structure as the primary polyp. In 1.7 % of primary benign solitary or multiple gastric polyps gastric carcinoma must be expected to develop. Follow-up examinations revealed only one carcinoma in 68 polyposis patients (= 1.5 %), but in these cases, consideration must be given to a simultaneous carcinoma, which was observed in 8.5 % at the first examination. In high-risk patients, endoscopic removal of protruded-type early gastric cancer and borderline lesion represents very satisfactory therapy. The recurrence rate of early gastric cancer was only 13.6 % and of borderline lesion 9.7 %. However, in cases of borderline lesions a cancer can be expected to develop in a further 8.6 %. The consequences of this study are discussed.

Key words:

Gastric polypectomy - Long-term results - Bening polyps - Genuinely recurrent polyps