Narrow-band imaging in the diagnosis of colorectal mucosal lesions: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
A newly developed narrow-band imaging (NBI) technique, in which modified optical filters were used in the light source of a video endoscope system, was applied during colonoscopy in a clinical setting. This pilot study evaluated the clinical feasibility of the NBI system for evaluating colorectal lesions.


METHODS
A total of 43 colorectal lesions in 34 patients were included in the study. The quality of visualization of colorectal lesions and the accuracy of differentiation between neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions using the NBI system were evaluated in comparison with results from conventional colonoscopy and with chromoendoscopy.


RESULTS
For pit pattern delineation, NBI was superior to conventional endoscopy (P < 0.001), but inferior to chromoendoscopy (P < 0.05). NBI achieved better visualization of the mucosal vascular network and of the hue of lesions than conventional endoscopy (P < 0.05). However there was no significant difference between NBI and chromoendoscopy in differentiating neoplastic from non-neoplastic lesions (both techniques had a sensitivity of 100 % and a specificity 75 %). This was better than the results of conventional colonoscopy (sensitivity 83 %, specificity 44 %; P < 0.05 for specificity).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that in the examination of colonic lesions the NBI system provides imaging features additional to those of both conventional endoscopy and chromoendoscopy. For distinguishing neoplasms from non-neoplastic lesions, NBI was equivalent to chromoendoscopy.
Machida
H
H
Division of Digestive Endoscopy and Gastrointestinal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba, Japan.
Sano
Y
Y
Hamamoto
Y
Y
Muto
M
M
Kozu
T
T
Tajiri
H
H
Yoshida
S
S
D000368:Aged; D020685:Colonoscopes; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007203:Indigo Carmine; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D004396:Coloring Agents; D007203:Indigo Carmine