Endoscopic polypectomy of a symptomatic antral polyp.

After the introduction of fiberoptic endoscopy and its fully accepted use as an instrument of great diagnostic ability, we are now in an era where the same instrument is providing us with a route for a mode of therapy. Colonic polypectomies are now being performed by a majority of the endoscopists. There have only been three instances reported in the literature, however, where the polypectomies have been performed for the removal of symptomatic polyps in the stomach and duodenum. This communication describes the removal of such a pedunculated distal antral polyp which not only caused intermittent pyloric obstruction but also a moderately severe iron deficiency anemia in an 82-year old female. The benign procedure of endoscopic polypectomy, which took only 25 minutes to perform, was a means of total cure for this patient. To the best of our knowledge, this case represents the second reported one from this country of the endoscopic polypectomy of a symptomatic benign gastric polyp.