Spontaneous expulsion of a duodenal lipoma after endoscopic biopsy: A case report.

BACKGROUND

Gastrointestinal (GI) lipomas are benign submucosal tumors of mature adipocytes that arise mainly in the colon and stomach, sometimes in the ileum and jejunum, and rarely in the duodenum. Patients with symptomatic lipomas require endoscopic or surgical treatment. Spontaneous expulsion of lipomas after biopsy is a rare condition that has limited case reports.

CASE SUMMARY: A 56-year-old man presented to our hospital with intermittent postprandial epigastric fullness. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) revealed a 10-mm soft yellowish submucosal lesion with the "pillow sign," located in the second portion of duodenum. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) using a 12-MHz catheter probe showed a hyperechoic, homogenous, and round solid lesion (OLYMPUS EUS EU-ME2, UM-DP12-25R, 12-MHz radial miniprobe, Olympus Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). Deep biopsy was performed using the bite-on-bite technique with forceps. Histological examination was compatible with submucosal lipoma. The lesion spontaneously expelled 12 d after the biopsy. Follow-up EUS performed after 2 mo confirmed this condition.

CONCLUSION

Deep biopsy could lead to spontaneous GI lipoma expulsion. This might be the first step in lipoma diagnosis and treatment.