title: Analysis of the tumor color patterns of early esophageal cancer using an autofluorescence imaging video endoscopy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Using a novel autofluorescence imaging video (AFI) endoscopy system, early esophageal cancers (EECs) appeared purple or brown in green background. However, the factors associated with these color patterns remain unraveled. The aims of this study were to classify the AFI color patterns of EECs and to investigate the correlation between the color patterns and clinicopathologic features of EECs.
  
  
  METHODS
  From April 2008 to April 2010, 32 patients with 42 EECs who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection at the Nagasaki University Hospital were enrolled in this study. They consisted of 25 men and 7 women, with the mean age of 64.7 years old (range, 52 to 82 y).
  
  
  METHODS
  With AFI endoscopy, we classified 2 color patters in EECs into purple in green patterns (P in G) and brown with purple dots in green patterns (BP in G), and we assessed the association with clinicopathologic factors. These factors included tumor morphology, location, size, histologic depth of invasion, and histologic lymphatic and vessel permeations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The color patterns of EECs were classified into 2 groups: purple in green patterns (P in G) (14%) and brown with purple dots in green patterns (BP in G) (86%). Univariate analysis revealed that only macroscopic type was associated with the EECs color pattern.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study revealed the association of AFI color patterns with clinicopathologic factors of EECs. Recognition of the color patterns in AFI images might be useful for the detections and diagnosis of EECs as one of the new endoscopic modalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan. norir333081@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Norimura
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Isomoto
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akazawa
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohnita
authors.forename: Saburo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shikuwa
authors.forename: Fuminao
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Takeshima
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakao
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003116:Color; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D004945:Esophagoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020535:Video-Assisted Surgery / Q000379:methods*