A 67-year-old man was referred for investigation of an abdominal mass.
Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a polypoid lesion with a ce
ntral depression in the duodenum. CT scan demonstrated a cystic lesion
anterior to the pancreas. Examination of a biopsy specimen of the duo
denal lesion suggested it was a carcinoma. Strip biopsy was therefore
performed, and histological examination revealed a tubular adenocarcin
oma with invasion limited to the mucosa, indicating that the lesion wa
s completely resected. Subsequent 24-month follow-up did not indicate
recurrence of the cancer. Strip biopsy thus appears to be a safe and e
fficient procedure for the management of early duodenal cancer.