Gastric polypectomy. Long-term results (survey of 23 centres in Germany).

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.