Background and methods: Eight patients thought to have primary early gastric lymphoma were studied to evaluate the usefulness of endoscopic mucosal resection for the diagnosis of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (RLH) or malignant lymphoma.
Results: In these patients, conventional endoscopic forceps biopsy did not provide a definite histologic diagnosis. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) demonstrated that the disease was limited to the mucosa and the submucosa in all patients, without any paragastric lymph node involvement, so endoscopic mucosal resection was performed to obtain specimens large enough to include the submucosa. As a result, primary early gastric lymphoma was diagnosed in five patients, for whom subsequent gastrectomy confirmed the diagnosis.
Conclusions: The authors recommend that endoscopic mucosal resection be performed in patients thought to have primary early gastric lymphoma and for whom a definite diagnosis can not be made by conventional endoscopic forceps biopsy.