Retrospective Analysis of Growth Speed of 54 Lesions of Colitis-associated Colorectal Neoplasia

AIM

This study used a multicenter questionnaire survey to evaluate the morphology and progression of the initial lesion in cases of colitis-associated colorectal neoplasia (CRN).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Endoscopic images of lesions that had been definitively diagnosed as CRN by pathological examination were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

This resulted in the identification of 54 initial lesions in 49 patients. The 54 initial lesions fell into the following categories: 22 endoscopically visible localized lesions consisting of 18 elevated lesions and 4 depressed lesions, as well as 32 lesions that were not endoscopically visible as localized and consisted of 20 active-phase mucosal lesions and 12 remission-phase mucosal lesions. Nineteen of the lesions eventually became advanced cancers, while 35 lesions eventually became early-stage cancers. The final lesions were 40 elevated lesions, 5 flat or depressed lesions and 9 stenotic lesions. The form of growth of the advanced cancers was progressive stenosis or increased elevation. For approximately 69% of the early-stage cancers, the growth form was increasing elevation or development of elevation. For 73.6% of the advanced cancers, the initial lesion underwent rapid growth and became advanced cancer within 3 years; they accounted for 25.9% of the total cancers. Approximately 40% of the initial lesions of CRN were endoscopically visible as localized lesions, while approximately 60% were judged to be inflammatory mucosal lesions.

CONCLUSION

It will be necessary to proactively take biopsy inflammatory mucosal lesions in order to discover tumors early and periodic surveillance should be performed with the knowledge that tumors may grow very quickly.