Risk of dysplasia and adenocarcinoma following restorative proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis

OBJECTIVE: Restorative proctocolectomy (RPC) with or without mucosectomy is the treatment of choice for most patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) requiring surgery. The ileal mucosa in the reservoir and the anorectal columnar epithelium below the ileo-anal anastomosis are at risk of neoplastic transformation. METHOD: The literature has been reviewed to identify patients developing this complication and an attempt has been made to develop a rational follow-up policy based on the data available. RESULTS: Dysplasia in the ileal reservoir is rare. It is associated with histological type C changes, sclerosing cholangitis and unremitting pouchitis in the ileal mucosa and to the presence of sclerosing cholangitis. Nine patients who have developed adenocarcinoma in the residual anorectal mucosa and seven in the reservoir have been reported in the literature. A further hitherto unreported patient treated by the authors brings the total to 17 patients. Twelve of these had histopathological data on either dysplasia or carcinoma in the original operative specimen. The time intervals from the onset of UC and from the RPC to the development of cancer were 120-528 (median 246) and 16-216 (median 60) months respectively. Cancer appeared to be related to the duration of disease rather than to the interval from RPC. In all the reported patients the interval from the onset of UC was 10 years. CONCLUSION: Based on these data a surveillance programme should begin at 10 years from the onset of disease. Patients with dysplasia or carcinoma in the original specimen, those with type C ileal mucosal changes and patients with sclerosing cholangitis should be selected for surveillance. This will involve multiple biopsies of the ileal reservoir and the anorectal mucosa below the ileo-anal anastomosis.