Detection of bile duct cancer by autofluorescence cholangioscopy: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
There is increasing interest in the detection of malignancy by autofluorescence endoscopy. This is the first report on autofluorescence endoscopy in bile duct cancer.


METHODS
Nine patients with bile duct cancer underwent percutaneous transhepatic autofluorescence cholangioscopy using light-induced fluorescence endoscopy in the gastrointestinal tract (LIFE-GI) system.


RESULTS
The cancerous lesion had quite a different color in comparison with normal mucosa, which was seen as light blue, by the autofluorescence endoscopy. In all patients, cancerous legions were observed as dark red. Additionally, in 7 of the 9 cases a white fluorescence was also seen in the cancerous lesion.


CONCLUSIONS
In previous reports on the gastrointestinal tract and bronchial tree, cancerous lesions appeared dark red when examined by autofluorescence endoscopy. In our study, it is suggested that a white fluorescence is also an important finding for making diagnosis of bile duct cancer by the autofluorescence endoscopy.
Izuishi
K
K
Department of Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba, Japan.
Tajiri
H
H
Ryu
M
M
Furuse
J
J
Maru
Y
Y
Inoue
K
K
Konishi
M
M
Kinoshita
T
T
D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019723:Endoscopes; D004867:Equipment Design; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity