To investigate the characteristics and influencing factors of esophageal stenosis after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early esophageal carcinoma.

Patients who underwent ESD in the Digestive Endoscopy Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from January 2011 to December 2018 were included. The data were obtained from medical records and follow-up. The influencing factors of stenosis were determined by single factor and Cox regression analysis.

A total of 654 patients underwent ESD and 79 (12.1%) of them developed postoperative esophageal stenosis. The median time of stenosis development was 27 (17, 43) days. The morphology and lesion circumferential proportion were independent factors for the occurrence of stenosis after ESD. The stenosis incidence of type Ⅱa was 6.601 times (95%CI: 1.518-28.709, P=0.012) compared with that of type Ⅱc. The incidence of stenosis in lesions with 75%-<100% and 100% circumference was 17.408 times (95%CI: 8.009-37.839, P<0.001)and 52.439 times (95%CI: 23.905-115.029, P<0.001) respectively compared with that of patients <75%. Among the 79 patients, 27 had severe stenosis, and the lesion circumferential proportion was an independent factor for stenosis. Compared with the group of lesion circumferential proportion of less than 75%, the incidences of stenosis of lesion circumferential proportion of 75%-<100% and 100% were 7.775 (95%CI: 1.977-30.577, P=0.003) and 70.062 (95%CI: 19.879-246.926, P<0.001) times respectively.

The morphology and lesion circumferential proportion are two independent factors for the occurrence of esophageal stenosis after ESD. Additionally, lesion circumferential proportion is an independent factor for the occurrence of severe esophageal stenosis after ESD.

Esophageal stenosis; Esophageal neoplasms; Risk factors; Endoscopic submucosal dissection