Aggressive Surveillance Is OK for Low-Grade Dysplasia in Ulcerative Colitis

Current guidelines suggest that patients with chronic ulcerative colitis who have unifocal low-grade dysplasia (LGD) in flat colonic mucosa should undergo close endoscopic surveillance, whereas some experts recommend prophylactic colectomy for these patients. To better inform surveillance and treatment, investigators evaluated the risk for progression of LGD to high-grade dysplasia or cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Researchers prospectively examined results from surveillance colonoscopies performed every 3 to 12 months in a group of 42 patients with ulcerative colitis and LGD. Four-quadrant biopsies were obtained every 10 cm from the cecum to the rectum, and some colonoscopists obtained biopsies every 5 cm in the rectosigmoid. B…