title: The feasibility and safety of endoscopic resection for benign hypopharyngeal tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  For hypopharyngeal tumors, surgical therapy under general anesthesia is the mainstay of treatment; however, the endoscopic treatment of benign hypopharyngeal tumors has not been fully evaluated for its feasibility and safety. We determined the technical feasibility and safety of endoscopic treatment for benign hypopharyngeal tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 22 patients (15 men, 7 women) with benign hypopharyngeal tumors underwent endoscopic resection. All tumors were treated using one of two endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) techniques: the injection and cut method for the polypoid lesions (6 cases) or EMR using a cap (EMR-C) for the flat or protruding lesions with wide bases (16 cases).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all 22 patients, the most common findings detected during routine GI endoscopy were lymphoepithelial cysts (11 cases) followed by papillomas (5 cases). All benign hypopharyngeal tumors were successfully removed by endoscopic resection without sedation. There were no major procedure-induced complications. Minor complications occurred in 3 patients and included minimal bleeding (n=1), pain (n=1) and low-grade fever (n=1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As a treatment modality for benign hypopharyngeal tumors, endoscopic resection is a simple, less invasive, safe, and likely cost-effective method. Endoscopic resection should be considered an alternative to surgical therapy in appropriately selected patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Univerisity Guro Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Beom Jae
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jong-Jae
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Moon Kyung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Ji Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jeong-Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Jong Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Yeon
authors.forename: Sung Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.forename: Jae Seon
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kwan Soo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Byun
authors.forename: Young-Tae
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Bak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004724:Endoscopy; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000601:surgery; D010611:Pharyngectomy / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome