Abstract

Background
/Aims: Small intestinal polyps in patients with Peutz-Jeghers (PJ) syndrome cause therapeutic difficulties because of the necessity for repeated laparotomy. We evaluated the short-term outcomes and long-term usefulness of double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) polypectomy for treating small intestinal PJ polyps.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed 10 patients with PJ syndrome (M：F=7：3, mean age 22.7 years) and whose small intestinal polyps were resected with DBE between January 2005 and July 2008. We analyzed their clinical, endoscopic and pathologic features, the short-term outcomes and the long-term follow-up results.
Results
Among 10 patients, 2 complained hematochezia and 2 presented with intussusceptions. DBE polypectomy was performed by the oral route in 4 patients, by the anal route in 1 and by both routes in 5 without significant complications, except for only one perforation. The polyps were 0.5∼6 cm in size and most of them were pedunculated. The histopathology revealed hamartomatous polyps in most cases. Follow-up small bowel series was performed in 6 of 10 patients, and 3 showed remnant polyps. Two of them underwent repeated DBE polypectomy without significant complications.
Conclusions
We suggest that DBE polypectomy is a useful treatment for PJ small intestinal polyps because of the good short-term outcome and the effectiveness of repeated polypectomy for the remnant or recurrent polyps. (Korean J Gastrointest Endosc 2009;39:338-345)

• Keywords: Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, Double balloon enteroscopy, Small intestine, Polypectomy