Delayed perforation after endoscopic resection of a colonic laterally spreading tumor: A case report and literature review

Combining non-invasive liquid biopsy and a methylation analysis to assess surgical risk for early esophageal cancer

Background

While the widespread use of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has significantly reduced the incidence of early esophageal cancer (ESCA), the limited ability of ESD to strip deep infiltrating esophageal lesions results in a considerable risk of intraoperative perforation. Circulating-free DNA (cfDNA) is widely used in modern tumor screening due to its non-invasive detection capabilities. A methylation analysis offers vital insights into the condition and advancement of malignancies due to its unique positioning, such as a marker of cancer. This study investigated the potential of combining a non-invasive liquid biopsy technique, along with a methylation analysis, to assess the surgical perforation risk of ESCA patients.

Methods

In this study, we conducted an analysis of gene expression differences between stage I esophageal squamous carcinoma samples and healthy tissue samples using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We also identified the genes associated with progression-free survival (PFS) in esophageal squamous carcinoma. Integrating the framework of the methylation analysis, we explored the methylated sites of these distinct genes. To refine this process, we used the Shiny Methylation Analysis Resource Tool (SMART) to conduct a comprehensive analysis of these sites. We then confirmed the stability of the methylation sites in different lesion conditions using methylation-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (MS-qPCR) with paraffin tissue samples collected after ESD.

Results

We analyzed RNA-sequencing data from 42 early stage ESCA patients and 17 controls, identifying 1,263 up-regulated and 460 down-regulated genes. Functional analyses revealed involvement in key pathways such as cell cycle regulation and immune responses. Furthermore, we identified 38 differentially expressed genes associated with PFS. Using SMART analysis, we found 217 hyper-methylated regions in 38 genes, suggesting potential early markers for ESCA. Validation experiments confirmed the reliability of 29 hyper-methylated regions in FFPE tissue samples and 6 regions in cfDNA. A LunaCAM model showed high accuracy [area under the curve (AUC) =0.89] in discriminating early ESCA. Integrated assessment of six highly methylated regions significantly improved predictive performance, with 90.56% sensitivity, highlighting the importance of combinatorial biomarker evaluation for early cancer detection.

Conclusions

This study established a novel approach that integrates non-invasive testing with a methylation analysis to assess the surgical risk of early ESCA patients. The significance of changes in methylation sites in relation to lesion status should not be underestimated, as they have the potential to offer vital insights for proactive risk assessments before surgery.

Delayed Perforation of Colorectal Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection Treated by Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Drainage

We report a case of a 70-year-old male with delayed perforation in the cecum treated by endoscopic ultrasonography-guided drainage for a pelvic abscess. The lesion was a 50-mm laterally spreading tumor, and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) was performed. No perforation was detected during the operation, and en bloc resection was achieved. He had fever and abdominal pain on postoperative day (POD) 2. Computed tomography (CT) revealed the intra-abdominal free air, leading to a diagnosis of delayed perforation after ESD. Vital signs were stable, the perforation was considered minor, and endoscopic closure was attempted. The colonoscopy under fluoroscopy showed no perforation in the ulcer and no leakage of the contrast medium. He was managed conservatively with antibiotics and nothing per os. Symptoms improved; however, a follow-up CT on POD 13 revealed a 65-mm pelvic abscess, and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided drainage was successfully performed. The follow-up CT on POD 23 showed the reduction of abscess, and the drainage tubes were removed. Emergent surgical treatment is crucial in delayed perforation because it has a poor prognosis, and reports of conservative therapy for colonic ESD with delayed perforation are few. The present case was managed with antibiotics and EUS-guided drainage. Thus, EUS-guided drainage can be a treatment option for delayed perforation after colorectal ESD, if the abscess is localized.

Long-term endoscopic submucosal dissection with postoperative lung injury: a case report

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been recognized as a safe and minimally invasive technique for the removal of early gastric cancer. Here, we describe a case of extended-duration ESD for a gastric tumor associated with intraoperative perforation and bleeding. Unfortunately, the patient developed acute lung injury (ALI) after the operation.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 72-year-old woman received ESD for a gastric tumor under general anesthesia. Preoperatively, endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) showed a 3.1 × 3.5 cm hypoechoic, well-defined mass at the junction of the antrum and body of the stomach on the greater curvature, originating in the muscularis propria layer. During the ESD procedure, when the submucosal mass was stripped, it was found to be closely adhered to the muscular layer and serosa layer, and a full-thickness incision was performed. The abdominal cavity was gradually filled with carbon dioxide gas, and abdominal puncture was performed to reduce intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH). Because the mass adhered to the greater omentum and there was more bleeding during the operation, a long duration of hemostasis and suturing of the wound was required. The whole operation lasted nearly 9 h, and total blood loss was 800 ml. After surgery, acute lung injury was suspected, and the patient was sent to the intensive care unit (ICU) for further treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The operation time of ESD and IAH caused by perforation are closely related to a poor prognosis. We should pay attention to the impact of operation time on patients and improve awareness regarding protecting important organ functions.