The diagnosis of non-palpable lesions in laparoscopic surgery of the colon

The identification of small neoplasms or areas presenting lesions associated with previous endoscopic polypectomy is one of the major problems in laparoscopic colonic resection. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of tattooing with Indian ink to identify the area of the colon that is the site of the lesion in order to be able to perform colonic resections with oncologically correct margins. Eighty-four patients were observed with polypoid lesions or diagnosed as presenting lesions associated with endoscopic polypectomy for which colonic resection had been recommended. Marking was performed during preoperative colonoscopy by injecting 1 ml of Indian ink solution with a sclerotherapy needle into each of the four quadrants of the colon wall. This method, which is simple to execute, invariably allowed easy identification of the site of the neoplasm and laparoscopic colon resection with correct oncological margins. In the 84 cases, we recorded only one complication (1.1%) due to a paucisymptomatic microperforation discovered during the operation. The identification of small colon lesions can be performed easily using Indian ink. It is a simple, quick method which, if performed properly, always allows the site of the lesion to be identified and is associated with a negligible rate of complications.