title: Clinical experience with autofluorescence imaging system in patients with lung cancers and precancerous lesions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is important to detect preinvasive bronchial lesions before they become invasive cancer, because detection of early cancer is expected to lead to a cure. Autofluorescence bronchoscopy is a useful device in the detection of preinvasive and cancerous lesions. Recently, a new autofluorescence bronchoscopic system, autofluorescence imaging (AFI) system, has been developed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the efficacy of AFI in the diagnosis of precancerous and cancerous lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 31 patients underwent both conventional white-light bronchoscopy (WLB) and AFI from January 2002 to September 2004. We evaluated autofluorescence findings using a four-point scale: AFI-I, II, III, and B. The findings in WLB were evaluated on a three-point scale: WLB-I, II, and III. Abnormal areas by WLB and AFI were biopsied for histopathological examinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 64 lesions were evaluated. When the AFI-III finding was regarded as positive in AFI and WLB-III as positive in WLB, sensitivity for severe dysplasia or worse was 94.7% with AFI and 73.7% with WLB, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AFI is an effective system for the detection of precancerous and cancerous lesions.
authors: Department of Pulmonary Oncology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Osaka, Japan. ueno-ki@mc.pref.osaka.jp
authors: Kiyonobu
authors: K
authors: Ueno
authors: Yoko
authors: Y
authors: Kusunoki
authors: Fumio
authors: F
authors: Imamura
authors: Mana
authors: M
authors: Yoshimura
authors: Suguru
authors: S
authors: Yamamoto
authors: Junji
authors: J
authors: Uchida
authors: Yoshitane
authors: Y
authors: Tsukamoto