In vivo real-time confocal laser scanning endomicroscopic colonoscopy for the detection and characterization of colorectal neoplasia.

BACKGROUND

Conventional colonoscopy has a significant false-negative rate for intraepithelial neoplasia. Chromoendoscopy increases sensitivity but lacks specificity. The aim was to assess prospectively the clinical applicability and predictive power of the EC3870CIFK confocal laser endomicroscope (CLE) for the in vivo diagnosis of intraepithelial neoplasia during colonoscopy.

METHODS

Lesions were identified using chromoscopy followed by CLE imaging and graded according to vascular and cellular changes. CLE imaging of circumscribed lesions and four segmental 'normal' colorectal quadrants was performed. Targeted biopsy specimens were then compared with histopathological results.

RESULTS

Forty patients completed the protocol (22 men and 18 women; median age 62 (range 39-82) years). The median duration of ileal intubation and total procedure time were 12 (range 5-26) and 55 (range 28-92) min respectively. Chromoscopic colonoscopy revealed 162 lesions in 39 patients. CLE imaging was obtained on all 162 lesions. Some 5422 confocal images were compared with 802 targeted biopsy specimens. Intraepithelial neoplasia was predicted with an accuracy of 99.1 per cent (sensitivity 97.4 per cent and specificity 99.3 per cent) (P = 0.711).

CONCLUSION

Confocal laser endomicroscopy permits high-quality cellular, subsurface vascular and stromal imaging, enabling prediction of intraepithelial neoplasia with a high level of accuracy.