Endoscopic tattoo of the colon might be standardized to locate tumors intraoperatively.
BACKGROUND
Small colonic lesions which are identified during endoscopy are usually difficult to locate intra-operatively. Endoscopic tattoo of the colon seems the most efficient method, however it does fail in some cases to identify the lesion peroperatively. We studied this method to evaluate its efficacy.


METHODS
Nineteen patients were tattooed during colonoscopy with "India ink" (drawing ink Rotring ). These patients had lesions in which difficulties were anticipated when retracing them again during colorectal surgery. Seventeen patients underwent colonic surgery. One patient underwent laparoscopic polypectomy and the other TEM (Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery).


RESULTS
The visibility of the "India ink" peroperatively and afterwards during histological examination were evaluated. The tattoos were visible in 68.4 % patients intraoperatively. Histopathological macroscopic examination of the specimens showed ink in 73.6 % patients. In 31.5 % patients the tattoo could not be recognised peroperatively.


CONCLUSIONS
Endoscopy assisted tattooing of the colon has been reported to be a safe method to landmark lesions in the colon. In the majority of our patients the tattoo was obvious during surgery. Endoscopic tattoo seems an efficient technique in identifying small colonic lesions intraoperatively.
Aboosy
Nail
N
Dept. of Gastroenterology, VU University Medical Center, 1005 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Mulder
Chris J J
CJ
Berends
Frits J
FJ
Meijer
Jos W R
JW
Sorge
Adriaan A V
AA
D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000379:methods; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008866:Microsurgery; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013653:Tattooing / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods