Prophylactic steroid administration against strictures is not enough for mucosal defects involving the entire circumference of the esophageal lumen after esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).

Backgrounds: The width of mucosal defects after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is known to be a risk factor for esophageal strictures. Although steroid injection and oral steroid have recently been reported as prophylactic treatments, these were shown to be ineffective in a subset of patients with post-ESD mucosal defects involving the entire circumference of the esophagus. The aim of this study was to demonstrate outcome with prophylactic steroid administration for post-ESD mucosal defects involving the entire circumference, and to explore risk factors for esophageal strictures except for circumference of the esophagus.

Methods: Between November 2012 and August 2018, we enrolled patients with post-ESD mucosal defects involving the entire circumference of the esophagus who had received steroid injection (triamcinolone acetonide 50-100 mg, given immediately after ESD) followed by oral steroid (prednisolone 30 mg/day, tapered gradually over 8 weeks) as prophylactic treatment. Esophageal stricture was defined as case where ordinary-sized endoscope could not pass through post-ESD site, thus requiring endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) repeatedly until relief of stricture was achieved. We retrospectively evaluated the rates of strictures, refractory strictures (requiring ≥ 6 EBD procedures) and unimproved strictures (not improvable by repeated EBD alone) and explored risk factors for strictures.

Results: A total of 26 patients met the including criteria. The rates of strictures, refractory strictures, and unimproved strictures were 62%, 38%, and 12%, respectively. The pre-ESD longitudinal extension of the lesion > 5 cm was identified as a risk factor for refractory strictures, suggesting that lesions with this factor had a shorter time to stricture development, required more EBD procedures, and longer EBD durations.

Conclusion: Although additional study is required in a larger number of patients, careful consideration needs to be given to ESD as an indication for large spreading ESCC involving the entire circumference of esophagus given its high stricture risk.