Sporadic adenoma or ulcerative colitis associated neoplasia? The endoscopist’s information has an impact on diagnosis and patient management

•Distinction between sporadic adenoma (SA) and ulcerative colitis associated low grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN) is important and influences patients’ follow up.•Earlier relapses, more high grade intraepithelial neoplasia and more carcinoma are seen in LGIN.•Distinction between both entities has an impact on treatment strategies.•Pathologist’s diagnosis depends significantly on correct endoscopical classification according to Paris classification and SCENIC.•Communicating endoscopical findings to the pathologist increases the number of endoscopical curable cases. Diagnosing low grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) is difficult. Distinguishing between sporadic adenoma (SA) and UC associated LGIN is even more challenging but has clinical impact. We aimed to examine, if the morphological distinction between both entities is reliably possible, how it influences patient’s outcome and the role of the endoscopist in this decision with respect to current endoscopy classification schemes. Seven pathologists retrospectively reevaluated 425 cases of LGIN in UC patients, diagnosed between 2009 and 2017 with preceding expert consensus and follow up in two separate readings, based on published morphological differentiation criteria. In the first evaluation, the observers were blinded to any clinical data. In the second evaluation, they knew patients’ age as well as endoscopic features. They also rated their subjective diagnostic certainty. Diagnostic correctness improved significantly in the second assessment as did the pathologists’ confidence in their diagnoses (p < 0.001 - p = 0.019). Knowledge of clinical and endoscopical data led to a higher percentage of SA (71.8% vs. 85.6%). UC associated LGIN showed significant earlier LGIN relapse as well as more high grade intraepithelial neoplasia and carcinoma during follow up (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.005). Distinction between SA and UC associated LGIN is important as it has an impact on patients’ follow up and treatment. Morphological distinction remains difficult with moderate interobserver variability. Adequate clinical information significantly improves pathologists’ diagnoses as well as their confidence in their diagnoses.