Copyright 2003 by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Reproduced with permission.
An intensive workshop designed to explore the utility and clinical relevance of the Japanese endoscopic classification of superficial neoplastic lesions of the GI Tract resulted in the Paris classification. This report summarizes conclusions of the workshop and proposes a general framework for the endoscopic classification of superficial lesions of the esophagus, stomach and colon. The clinical relevance of this classification is demonstrated in tables that show the relative proportion of each subtype in the esophagus, stomach and colon, assessing the risk of submucosal invasion and the risk of lymph node metastases.